Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo speaks throughout a gathering to launch an advisory group tasked with bettering the minimal wage system in Seoul, Friday. Newsis
Labor teams categorical worries over intentions behind ‘suspicious’ transfer
By Jung Min-ho
The federal government on Friday launched an advisory group to enhance the minimal wage system — a transfer that raises labor activists’ suspicions due to its lack of illustration from the labor facet.
In accordance with ministry officers, the group consists of 9 incumbent and former members of the Minimal Wage Fee, all of whom are students on labor points, and is tasked with discovering “affordable methods” via talks to enhance the present system.
“As a substitute of discovering affordable widespread floor, wasteful strife tends to be repeated yearly at right this moment’s Minimal Wage Fee,” Employment and Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo stated. “I hope the group would discover methods for basic reforms that might embrace adjustments within the labor market … I hope they’d take heed to these working in numerous industries and provide you with ways in which might resonate with the general public.”
Requested concerning the particular goals of forming the group, a ministry consultant instructed The Korea Occasions that there was none.
“The group was not launched to attain any particular objectives. If there’s any problem that must be mentioned, the members would deal with it, no matter it may be,” the official stated. “They’re anticipated to debate points that employees and employers have raised in recent times. After about two months, they’ll submit options for enhancements. Primarily based on that, the ministry will push for laws.”
Established in 1987, the fee has been accountable for setting the nation’s minimal wage annually. It’s composed of three teams, every with 9 members representing employers, employees and the general public sector, with public sector members consisting of professors and researchers. Because of this construction, employer and employee representatives usually battle to succeed in a consensus on the speed of minimal wage will increase, leaving public sector representatives — usually influenced by the incumbent administration — to suggest arbitration plans.
There have been voices calling for system reforms over the previous few years, particularly from small enterprise house owners battling “extreme” minimal wage hikes. One other problem that drew intensive consideration was rising calls to introduce a separate minimal wage system for international employees.
These points might be included within the group’s agenda. However structural reforms will probably be tough with out the settlement of the opposition Democratic Celebration of Korea, which holds a majority within the Nationwide Meeting.
“After greater than 30 years, there have been questions over whether or not we have to change the system,” the ministry official stated.
But labor activists doubt the advisory group will make any adjustments of their favor. The identical day, the nation’s two largest umbrella labor unions — the Federation of Korean Commerce Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Commerce Unions (KCTU) — expressed considerations over the transfer.
“We categorical sturdy remorse over the ministry’s determination to unilaterally kind an advisory physique with out looking for settlement from labor teams upfront,” the FKTU stated in a press release. “It is usually regrettable that it consists of incumbent and former members of the Minimal Wage Fee. Up to now, a few of them ignored the standards stipulated by the minimal wage legislation in figuring out the minimal wage degree and used arbitrary strategies to press forward with setting the wage at a decrease fee than the speed of inflation.”
The KCTU agreed, saying the group’s proposals will probably be rejected by labor organizations.
“Primarily based on the group’s composition, (the ministry’s) intentions are apparent,” the KCTU stated in a press release. “The outcomes of the group’s efforts, anticipated to be introduced by the tip of this 12 months, will probably be simply wasted.”
