3,000 Small Business Owners Rally at National Assembly, Urge Abolition of Weekly Holiday Allowance and Withdrawal of Early Morning Delivery Policy

Concerns Over the "Basic Law on Working People"

"Burden on Small Business Owners Will Increase Significantly"

As the so-called "three highs" phenomenon—high interest rates, high inflation, and high exchange rates—continues to intensify management challenges, small business owners have called on the government and the National Assembly to overhaul economic and employment policies.

Small Business Association holds the "General Small Business Resolution Rally Urging the Protection of the Right to Live and a Radical Shift in Employment Policies" on the 9th in front of the National Assembly Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Small Business Association

On June 9, organizations representing small business owners, including the Small Business Federation, Korea Federation of Merchants, Korea Federation of Micro-Businesses and Self-Employed, and Korea Foodservice Industry Association, announced that they held the "Resolution Rally of All Small Business Owners to Defend the Right to Survival and Urge a Drastic Change in Employment Policy" in front of National Assembly Station, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

Representatives from the small business sector emphasized that operating conditions have deteriorated rapidly due to factors such as high interest rates, high inflation, high exchange rates, depressed domestic demand, rising labor costs, and burdensome platform commissions.

According to the Korea Labor Institute's report "Self-Employment and Self-Employment Policy," as of 2023, two-thirds of the self-employed earned less than 1.6 million won in monthly operating profit. The number of business closures reached 1,008,282 last year, and this figure is expected to be surpassed this year.

Song Chi-young, president of the Small Business Federation, stated in his opening remarks, "The value of labor for small business owners who cannot even afford part-time wages and are forced to rely on family-run operations without days off is being ignored," adding, "Small business owners are the biggest victims of social polarization."

He also expressed concerns about the "Basic Law on Working People," which is currently under discussion in the National Assembly. Song argued, "If labor standards are extended to include special types of employment and freelancers, the burden on small business owners could increase significantly."

He made clear his opposition to the current minimum wage system and the policy to allow early morning deliveries by large discount stores. Song stressed, "The outdated 73-year-old paid weekly holiday allowance should be abolished immediately, and the minimum wage should be differentiated by industry, business size, region, and for foreign workers. If the bill allowing early morning deliveries by large stores passes, the small business community will file a constitutional appeal and launch a campaign against politicians who support the measure."

Participants at the rally adopted a "Resolution for the Survival of Small Business Owners," calling for: ▲ halting the expansion of labor standards to businesses with fewer than five employees and suspending the enactment of the Basic Law on Working People; ▲ abolishing the paid weekly holiday allowance and differentiating the minimum wage; ▲ legislating the right of small business owners to unionize and bargain collectively; ▲ withdrawing the policy to permit early morning deliveries by large discount stores; ▲ establishing a special presidential committee for small businesses; and ▲ introducing a system to guarantee a minimum income for small business owners.

Song added, "If the government and the National Assembly continue to ignore the demands of small business owners and push ahead with these issues unilaterally, we will launch an even larger national rally of small business owners."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.