Seven Out of Ten Support 'Right to Stop Work During Heat Waves'... Legislation Stalls in National Assembly [Workers in Crisis] ⑭

Four Occupational Safety and Health Act Amendments Stalled in Committee
Insufficient Legal Protection for Workers Amid Climate Crisis
Public and Experts Call for Stronger Safeguards

Seven out of ten people in South Korea believe that workers should have the right to stop work at their own discretion in the face of the climate crisis, but legislative discussions in the National Assembly remain sluggish. This year, a revision to the Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards was proposed to guarantee at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours during heat waves, but there are still calls that legal protections remain insufficient.

According to the National Assembly Bill Information System on August 29, four proposed amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act-including provisions for the right to stop work and mandatory heating and cooling facilities to protect workers amid the climate crisis-have yet to pass the Environment and Labor Committee.

Chagyugeun Cha, a lawmaker from the Innovation Party for the Nation, sponsored a bill on August 1 to add heat waves and cold waves as grounds for workers to stop work and evacuate. The bill also stipulates that the state and local governments may support a portion of wage losses resulting from work stoppages.

Hyekyung Jeong, a member of the Progressive Party, introduced a revision last month to clearly define the employer's obligation to halt work during climate crises such as heat waves, heavy rain, and heavy snow. The bill prohibits resuming work until investigations and improvements are completed to ensure safety, and requires worker participation in the process of lifting work stoppages.

Jinseok Moon, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed a bill in November last year to mandate the installation of ventilation, cooling, and heating systems in workplaces such as logistics warehouses to prevent occupational accidents caused by changes in weather conditions like heat waves and severe cold. In September last year, Yongwoo Lee, also from the Democratic Party, introduced a bill to include weather conditions as grounds for the right to stop work and to allow the Minister of Employment and Labor to directly order corrective actions or work stoppages if employers fail to implement safety measures.

In reality, the public is supportive of introducing the right to stop work. According to a survey conducted by the civic group Workplace Gapjil 119 and polling agency Global Research from June 1 to 7 of this year, 73.9% of 1,000 office workers nationwide responded that "employees should be able to refuse work at their own discretion during natural disasters." Support was particularly high among those in their 20s (83.1%), special contract and freelance workers (82.2%), and construction industry workers (78.8%).

Experts stress that legislative improvements must go hand in hand with changes in labor-management culture. Hyuncheol Moon, Vice President of the Korea Disaster Management Society and a professor at Honam University, said, "Heat waves are disasters directly linked to workers' lives. The National Assembly should reflect expert opinions to refine the existing legal framework and establish worker protection measures that can address gaps on the ground."

Changdeok Heo, a professor of sociology at Yeungnam University, stated, "Fundamentally, there needs to be a culture in the workplace where labor and management can flexibly respond to changes in climate and working conditions. When a mature labor-management relationship that respects workers' lives is established, effects beyond what the law can achieve will follow."