Minister Kim Younghoon: "All-Out Effort for On-Site Settlement of Revised Trade Union Act... We Will Build a Predictable Bargaining Order"

Kim Younghoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, said at a government-party policy consultation meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 23rd, "The revised Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, which will take effect on March 10, is a law to promote dialogue and to reduce gaps, intended to break the vicious cycle in which dialogue itself becomes illegal and damage claims and extreme struggles are repeated."

Minister Kim explained, "The government is putting in place the institutional foundation necessary for the enforcement of the law by revising the enforcement decree and preparing interpretative guidelines," adding, "We will operate on-site support teams to prevent unnecessary confusion and conflict at bargaining sites between original contractors and subcontractors, and at the same time identify exemplary models of win-win bargaining."

Kim Younghun, Minister of Employment and Labor, is speaking at a consultative meeting between the Democratic Party of Korea and the government held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 23rd. Yonhap News.

He also emphasized the stable settlement of the law, saying, "We will present clear criteria for determining employer status and the scope of bargaining, and establish a predictable order through a joint response system among relevant ministries," and, "We will thoroughly examine on-site implementation and provide proactive support so that the legislative intent of the National Assembly is not distorted in practice."

In addition, regarding the joint declaration on retirement pension system improvement agreed upon by labor, management, and government on the 6th, he said, "It is highly significant in that, for the first time, we have reached an agreement on promoting fund-type retirement pensions and mandating the external funding of retirement benefits," and added, "We will prepare concrete measures aimed at expanding the choices available to subscribers and strengthening the protection of workers' benefit entitlements."

He went on to say, "We will also review support measures to ease the burden on small and micro-sized enterprises," and added, "We will work closely with the party so that the core principles of the joint declaration - guaranteeing benefit entitlements, expanding choice, and prioritizing subscribers' interests - lead to tangible improvements in the system."

Attending the consultation meeting were ruling party officials including Han Jeongae, Chair of the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Ahn Hoyoung, Chair of the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee.