Full Application of the Labor Standards Act Without Discrimination
No Overloaded Work in a Four-Day Workweek
Fundamental Ban on Night Work
Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, is giving a speech. Democratic Labor Party
During his announcement of labor-related pledges that day, Kwon stated, "With the advancement of various communication technologies, the boundary between work and life is being blurred due to work instructions given outside working hours. I will legislate the right not to be connected after work to prevent this."
Kwon also said, "By amending Article 2 of the Labor Standards Act, I will introduce a worker presumption system so that labor rights are not arbitrarily excluded, ensuring that anyone who works is fully covered by the Labor Standards Act. I will also ensure that workers at businesses with fewer than five employees are granted rights such as protection against unfair dismissal and paid annual leave without discrimination."
He further pledged, "I will amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act so that subcontracted workers can negotiate wages and working conditions directly with the actual employer. I will guarantee subcontracted workers the right to collective bargaining with the principal employer, expand the scope of labor disputes, and restrict the imposition of liability for damages due to industrial actions."
Kwon stated, "I will create healthy and safe workplaces by implementing a genuine four-day workweek without work overload and by fundamentally prohibiting night work. Night work will be fundamentally prohibited and only allowed in limited cases for reasons of social public interest and necessity."
He added, "I will increase the number of annual leave days by 10 and introduce a labor sabbatical month of at least one month per year. I will also expand the coverage of social insurance laws to transform the system into a universal social security system that applies to all working people."
In addition, he promised: ▲the right not to work in dangerous environments ▲abolishing discriminatory application of the Industrial Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accident Punishment Act ▲prohibiting the outsourcing of hazardous work ▲an appropriate income guarantee system for special employment and platform workers ▲a ban on comprehensive wage contracts ▲guaranteeing the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike by revising the Public Officials and Teachers' Union Act.
Kwon was selected as the candidate by the Grand Transformation Presidential Coalition, which is composed of the Justice Party, Labor Party, Green Party, and civil society organizations. Kwon, a former dismissed worker at Poongsan Metal, passed the bar exam in 1999 and has since worked on labor issues, including as a legal representative for Ssangyong Motor's mass layoffs. His key pledges include: ▲reform of the electoral system ▲amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act ▲a citizen's minimum income of 1 million won ▲and the introduction of a super-wealth tax on the top 0.1 percent.
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