After President Lee Jae-myung said it is hard to see demands for bonuses tied to operating profit as the subject of a labor dispute, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions said on the 21st that the intent of the "yellow envelope law, a new labor law aimed at strengthening the bargaining rights of subcontract workers" (the revised Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act) should be respected.
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions said in a Spokesperson's commentary that "the government should respect the legislative intent of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act revision, which is to expand basic labor rights." It added, "What the government should not do is create new standards that restrict the scope of labor disputes," and said it should "enforce the law so that basic labor rights are fully guaranteed in line with the legislative intent of the revised Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act."
This followed the president's remarks at a Cabinet meeting that "is the issue of allocating a certain percentage of operating profit really a subject of dispute?" and that "in my view, the case against it is stronger."
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions said, "If the government tries to limit the scope of what constitutes a labor dispute through enforcement rules or administrative guidelines, it will effectively reduce the basic labor rights that the National Assembly expanded through legislation." It continued, "A labor dispute does not automatically arise just because a worker raises issues with a management decision."
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions added, "Exaggerating as if all exercises of a corporation's management rights are being constrained will only fuel unnecessary misunderstandings and social conflict over the revised law."