'Yellow Envelope Act' Filibuster on Second Day... Opposition Party Expected to Hold Solo Vote on 5th

19-Hour Ruling Party and Opposition Debate
Automatically Ends at Midnight on the 4th Due to National Assembly Session Closure

The filibuster led by the People Power Party opposing the ‘Yellow Envelope Act’ (Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) proposed by the opposition party has continued for the second day. As of 12 PM on the 3rd, it has been ongoing for 19 hours.

On the afternoon of the 2nd, during the National Assembly plenary session, as the filibuster (legal obstruction of parliamentary proceedings through unlimited debate) on the 'Yellow Envelope Act' (Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) began, opposition party members were leaving the chamber.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party is expected to proceed with the vote on the 5th, the first day of the August extraordinary session of the National Assembly, after completing the regional primary schedule this weekend.

The Yellow Envelope Act aims to strengthen the primary contractor’s responsibility for subcontracted workers, expand the scope of labor disputes, and limit companies’ claims for damages against striking workers.

The People Power Party began the filibuster around 4:30 PM the previous day immediately after the Yellow Envelope Act was submitted to the plenary session. Im Eui-ja, the first filibuster speaker from the People Power Party, argued in opposition, saying, “When our body has inflammation, antibiotics would cure it, but chemotherapy can kill even good cells. The Yellow Envelope Act is the same,” and criticized it as “the Democratic Party’s sly ‘trick legislation.’”

Woo Jae-jun from the same party emphasized, “The Yellow Envelope Act could rather push the way toward illegal strikes,” and Kim So-hee criticized it as “an amendment for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.”

On the other hand, Kim Tae-seon of the Democratic Party, in support of the bill, stated, “The Yellow Envelope Act is to ensure that all workers can equally assert their rights and be protected,” and countered, “The government and ruling party are using global standards as an excuse to further restrict workers’ rights and prioritize corporate profits.”

Jung Hye-kyung of the Progressive Party also emphasized, “This law gives a chance to slightly improve the working conditions of the most vulnerable non-regular workers in our society.”

The filibuster on the Yellow Envelope Act, which started around 4:30 PM the previous day, will automatically end at midnight on the 4th due to the conclusion of the July extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

The Democratic Party, having submitted a request to convene the August extraordinary session, plans to push for the passage of the Yellow Envelope Act at the first plenary session of the extraordinary session, which may be held as early as the 5th.

However, even if the bill passes, there is a high possibility it will be discarded if the president exercises the right to request reconsideration (veto power).