President Lee Meets Leaders of Major Labor Unions for Luncheon
Stresses, "We Are Only Legislating What the Courts Have Recognized, Yet People Remain Skeptical"
President Lee Jae-myung attended a luncheon meeting with the chairmen of the two major labor unions at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 4th. He is seen holding hands and taking a commemorative photo with Kim Dong-myung, chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (left), and Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee Jae-myung stated on September 4 that there is "no chance" that the Yellow Envelope Act (the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) would put management at a disadvantage.
On this day, President Lee held a luncheon at the Yongsan Presidential Office with Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and Kim Dong-myung, chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. During the meeting, President Lee said, "There are concerns that the amendment to the trade union law has made things unfairly disadvantageous for employers," emphasizing, "In my view, there is no chance of that happening."
President Lee added, "We are simply legislating what has already been recognized by the courts, so I am explaining that there is nothing disadvantageous about it, but people are not easily convinced." He went on to say, "From observing both management and labor, I get the sense that our society is filled with distrust, lacks communication, and is short on dialogue."
President Lee repeatedly urged the heads of the two major labor unions to participate in tripartite talks. He said, "Don't you think workers and employers really need to have a dialogue?" and appealed, "We need to clear up misunderstandings, resolve any possible animosity, and have many discussions based on facts in order to adjust our positions."
Regarding the Economic, Social and Labor Council, a social dialogue body that has yet to elect a chairman, President Lee remarked, "Whether you meet to argue or not, or reach a conclusion or not, you at least have to meet. I wonder why there is no meeting at all."
The chairmen of the two major labor unions also expressed the need for dialogue. Chairman Kim said, "I propose that the president personally bring together all economic stakeholders and conduct a deliberation process over a set period, and within that framework, declare a grand social compromise." Chairman Yang also added, "To solve the climate crisis and the problem of labor inequality, I propose comprehensive negotiations between the government and labor."
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