What behind the Labor law

If the National Assembly’s environment and labor committee has not passed its revision for labor regulations, a big disaster could have happened in labor-management relations last year.

With the revision companies was granted to delay the introduction of multiple unions in a single workplace for one year and six months and postpone implementing a wage ban for full-time labor union representative for six months.


Although the time for introducing multiple unions can come a little earlier than the original plan, it require multiple unions in a company to form a single negotiation channel for labor talks with the firm.


However the revised labor law did not go so smoothly, as it was distorted when it went though some politicians. In order to meet the interests of some politicians, the revised law was full of additional provisions and conditions. This means that the true purpose of the revision law was tarnished by politically motivated goals. An added provision stating that a company and a labor union can delay implementing the wage ban for unionists for up to two years is a clear example.

The additional provisions were some that was not discussed in labor, business and government meetings. To minimize possible confusion over the provision, the Labor Ministry belatedly stepped in and said that if a company and labor union attempt to revise a collective agreement to enable full-time union members to receive wages, any deal made after Jan. 1 won’t be binding. No matter what positions the ministry hold in the revised law, it is possible that some legal dispute may happen in terms of interrupting the law.

Apart from mentioned above, another controversial thing is about timed-off system.


Grand Nationals extended the definition of the time-off system to include “general union management operations” from the original “certain union activities,” but again changed the definition to “union management operations to lead healthy labor-management ties.” The way that obtuse language was used in the law added complexity to it.

As the revised labor law was passed by the National Assembly, it’s now time for crafting the details for ordinances to implement the law. To minimize confusion and the side effects of the new labor law, it’s important for people involved in these issues to stick to their principles. We must keep in mind that both labor and management should be focused on carrying out the revised law, as that will eventually lead to an amicable settlement on this issue.

Actions need to be taken for employers to keep their labor law poster updated.