This Aug. 1, 2024, file photo provided by the Korea Enterprises Federation shows major business lobbies holding a joint protest against the opposition parties’ efforts to pass the so-called “yellow envelope bill” at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s major business groups on Monday called for the parliament to reflect local companies’ voices in the controversial “yellow envelope bill,” which seeks to broaden workers’ rights.
“The business community has continuously emphasized the need for sufficient coordination between employers and workers, as the new bill could create great confusion in their relationship,” six business lobby groups, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said in a joint statement.
The proposed revisions to articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act guarantee the bargaining rights of indirectly employed subcontracted workers.
The bill also prohibits companies from filing lawsuits for damages or provisional seizures against unionized workers, which many argue businesses have used to suppress strikes.
“If tens or hundreds of labor unions under subcontractors demand negotiations, businesses will not be able to respond to all of them, causing extreme confusion at work sites,” the statement said.
The groups warned the revision could also make companies’ business decisions, including overseas investments, a reason for workers’ collective action, disrupting their operations.
They also called for a probation period of at least one year for the revised law, should it pass the parliament, to minimize its fallout on local industries.
The yellow envelope bill is expected to be handled during the National Assembly’s August session.
(Yonhap)
