Key facts
- The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will join government-proposed talks on labor rules.
- The proposed legislation could exempt top-earning managers and researchers from the 52-hour workweek limit.
- The government is considering extending the selective working hour system's basis period to six months for special megaclusters.
- The KCTU's participation marks its return to three-way labor talks after six years.
- The KCTU aims to prevent a regression of labor rights.
SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's major umbrella union, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), announced Thursday it will participate in government-proposed "social dialogue" concerning a bill that seeks to roll back certain labor regulations, including the 52-hour workweek limit for high-earning individuals in large-scale semiconductor clusters. The decision was made during a central executive committee meeting, with the KCTU stating its goal is to "directly voice our opposition to expanding labor exemptions and to prevent the regression of labor rights."
Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon had proposed the "one-point social dialogue" earlier this week to discuss the government and ruling party's "megacluster bill." The proposed legislation, slated for introduction by the end of the month, may exempt managers and researchers among the top 3 percent of income earners from the 52-hour workweek, as well as overtime, night, and holiday work allowances. The 52-hour workweek law was initially implemented in 2018 to combat overwork.
The government is also considering extending the basis period for the selective working hour system from one month to six months for these special megaclusters. This system allows for intensive work within a specific period, provided total hours over the basis period do not exceed the limit.
However, the nation's two largest umbrella labor unions, including the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), have previously condemned these proposed changes as anti-labor and vowed to block the legislation. The KCTU's engagement in these talks signifies its return to the tripartite labor discussions involving the government and employers after a six-year hiatus, with its last participation being in crisis management dialogue during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.