Labor Organizations: "President Lee Denies Yellow Envelope Act... Attempts to Shrink and Neutralize It"

KCTU: "An Attempt to Restrict the Legitimate Exercise of Workers' Rights"
FKTU: "Respect the Legislative Intent"

On July 21, labor organizations sharply criticized President Lee Jae-myung for his remarks suggesting that the scope of labor disputes should not be excessively expanded and for calling for a more specific definition of this scope in the enforcement decree of the Trade Union Act and similar regulations.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) issued a statement on the same day, saying, "President Lee's statements directly deny the legislative intent of the revised Trade Union Act and represent a deeply concerning attempt to limit the legitimate exercise of workers' rights. It is an effort to shrink and neutralize the law, which was achieved after years of struggle, through government administrative guidelines."

The KCTU also addressed the Honam Semiconductor Mega Project, stating, "The issues of job security for existing workers, transfers to new workplaces, family relocation, and labor intensity are inseparable from working conditions," adding, "It is only natural for labor and management to come together to discuss and negotiate the details and impacts."

Regarding President Lee's comment that union demands for ‘performance bonuses tied to N% of operating profit’ were excessive, the KCTU responded, "Negotiations on how to divide and compensate for just rewards for work are the labor union's most fundamental role," adding, "To deny this is a biased stance that only defends the exclusive rights of capital."

The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) also criticized the government, saying, "The government's role is not to establish new restrictions on the scope of labor disputes, but to ensure that the fundamental labor rights are thoroughly guaranteed in accordance with the legislative intent of the revised Trade Union Act."

The FKTU warned, "If the government attempts to restrict the scope of labor disputes through enforcement rules or administrative guidelines, it would in effect reduce the expanded labor rights that were established through legislation by the National Assembly," adding, "The government must respect the legislative intent and the expansion of fundamental labor rights."

Choi Seungho, Chairperson of the Samsung Group Enterprise Labor Union Samsung Electronics Branch. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Choi Seungho, Chairman of the Samsung Group Super Enterprise Labor Union Samsung Electronics Branch, the largest labor union at Samsung Electronics, also addressed the performance bonus controversy, stating, "If it was not a legitimate subject for dispute, the National Labor Relations Commission would not have accepted mediation for negotiations," and, "Labor-management negotiation practices must be taken into account."

Chairman Choi also commented on the Honam Semiconductor Cluster, saying, "If working conditions are affected, it can become a subject for negotiation. Residential environment and education, among other forms of treatment, are of utmost importance."

President Lee specifically pointed to the Samsung Electronics union's demand for a ‘performance bonus equal to N% of operating profit’ and its proposal to include the Honam Semiconductor Mega Project as an agenda item in next year's labor-management talks during the cabinet meeting on July 21.

President Lee stated, "I have also studied labor law, but it seems the subject of labor disputes has become too broadly defined. If necessary, before a court ruling, the Labor Relations Commission should make a determination, or, if needed, such matters should be clarified through presidential decrees or enforcement rules."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor released a statement to the press on July 13, after the Samsung Electronics union proposed making the Honam Semiconductor Mega Project an agenda item for next year's labor-management negotiations, saying, "This is not included among the subjects for collective bargaining or labor disputes."

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