Presidential Office Welcomes Passage of "Yellow Envelope Act," Says Side Effects Minimized

The Office of the President expressed its support on August 24 for the passage of the Yellow Envelope Act (the amendment to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act) by the National Assembly plenary session.

An official from the presidential office stated, "We welcome the passage of the first Yellow Envelope Act since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration," adding, "Unlike the concerns raised by the business community, this amendment has minimized side effects."

Addressing concerns that the amendment would allow unions to strike over all management matters, the official countered, "Only areas that can have a substantial impact have been included." The official explained that while the bill previously vetoed by former President Yoon was conditional on "disagreement over the determination of working conditions," the current amendment specifically revises the wording to "disagreement over the determination of working conditions and business or management decisions that affect working conditions."

On the 24th, the "Partial Amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act (Yellow Envelope Act)" is being passed in the National Assembly plenary session led by the ruling party. Yonhap News

The official further commented, "To some extent, I understand the business community’s position that not everything related to working conditions should be subject to labor disputes," adding, "The amendment leaves room for interpretation by companies as well." The official also emphasized, "There is a six-month preparation period," and "The government will gather opinions from both labor and management to ensure the legislative intent is implemented in the field."

The Yellow Envelope Act stipulates that subcontracted workers can negotiate directly with the primary contractor and limits companies' claims for damages against striking workers. On the morning of August 24, the National Assembly passed the bill with 183 votes in favor and 3 against out of 186 members present.