Final Agreement on Civil Servants' 'Time Off'... Paid Union Activities to Become Possible

Resolution on Exemption Limits for Civil Servants' Diligence Committee Working Hours
Limits Divided into 8 Sections Based on Union Size
Personnel Director May Grant Additional 6,000 Hours Exemption

The government and the public officials' labor union have finalized discussions on work hour exemptions (time off) that allow paid union activities. Going forward, annual exemption hour limits will be set across eight categories based on the size of the union membership. Depending on administrative negotiation circumstances, an additional time off of up to 6,000 hours per year will be possible.

The scene of the '2020 Government Negotiation Collective Agreement Signing Ceremony' held last June at the Government Sejong Convention Center [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Public Officials' Work Hour Exemption Deliberation Committee, an organization under the Economic, Social and Labor Council, held its 11th plenary meeting on the 22nd and finalized the limit on work hour exemptions (time off) for public officials. In accordance with Article 7-2 of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Officials' Labor Unions, discussions related to 'hours' and 'number of users' for work hour exemptions were concluded.

Time off is a system that allows labor union officials to legally engage in union activities during working hours and sets limits on this. In the case of public officials, a bill introducing time off was prepared during the 21st National Assembly and passed the plenary session of the National Assembly in May 2022.

Since then, the government has taken follow-up steps, including pushing for amendments to related enforcement decrees in November last year, but had not finalized the matter. Since June, the Labor-Management Relations Committee (Geunmyeonwi), which handles public officials' labor relations, has conducted deliberations for over four months, holding eleven plenary meetings as well as several secretariat and public interest meetings to coordinate opinions.

Going forward, public officials' labor unions will be divided into a total of eight categories based on the size of union membership, with annual exemption hour limits assigned accordingly. For the category with the largest number of bargaining units (300?1,299 members), 1 to 2 annual work hour exemption users will be allowed.

Additionally, if necessary for administrative negotiations, the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management may grant an additional annual work hour exemption limit of up to 6,000 hours to public officials' labor unions established at the administrative unit level. At this time, the annual number of users allowed must not exceed twice the number of full-time users. However, for labor unions with 229 or fewer members, the number of users allowed is set to 2.

Kwon Ki-seop, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, said, "The decision on the public officials' work hour exemption limit is significant as it is the 'first labor-management agreement result' based on mutual discussion and trust since the restoration of social dialogue at the end of last year," adding, "We will ensure that this labor-government agreement experience and asset can serve as a driving force for future social dialogue trends related to jobs for future generations."

Meanwhile, at this meeting, it was decided as an ancillary opinion that the Economic, Social and Labor Council will conduct a fact-finding survey two years after the public officials' work hour exemption limit is announced to prepare for future re-examinations. The resolution will be immediately notified by the chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council to the Minister of Employment and Labor, who will then promulgate it after legal review and administrative notice.