[Editorial] Labor-Business Relations Not Improved by New Plans

The government is taking concrete action on plans to bring labor-business relations to a higher level. They say the government and ruling party have agreed on the main details, except for a few points of contention. When you consider how bad relations are right now you wonder if the plans can be implemented by February of next year as the government thinks, and furthermore the plans themselves are a far cry from bringing relations to an "advanced" level. That is because they do not adequately reflect the recommendations of the International Labor Organisation (ILO).

The reason the government is pursuing them is because of the need to respond to changes in the relationship that will come in 2007, when it becomes possible to have more than one union at the same company and when it will be illegal to pay wages for someone who is working at the union full time. It also wants to fix things that are not in line with international labor standards. Amending the Labor Relations Mail and reforming the system cannot be postponed forever.

The plans being considered, however, lack enough specifics that would make them consistent with those goals. Especially so because they have decided to get rid of the clause saying union employees cannot be paid workers wages, get rid of government mediation for businesses that serve the public interest, and forcibly require collective negotiation when there is more than one union. International practice is to leave the issues of full-time union employees and negotiations by multiple unions for workers and companies to figure out for themselves. The part about projects in the public interest also goes against ILO recommendations. The plans also lack any effort to respond to changing labor-business relations, including the improvement of a negotiating framework for the trend towards unions organized by industry and measures that allow for responses to new wrongful labor practices at a time when there will be multiple unions. The government has given ear to business leaders wanting it to be easier to lay off workers, but it has not listened to labor movement demands for the rights of unemployed workers and migrant laborers to be protected, or for measures regarding the provisional seizure of property in anticipation of damage lawsuits.

The government is taking the situation way too lightly if it thinks it can achieve "advanced" labor-business relations this way. It should start by looking at labor standards in advanced nations.

The Hankyoreh, 11 November 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]