The government will issue revised labor-management guidance in January to resolve uncertainties in the industry following last year's Supreme Court ruling on standard wages. Additionally, the 'social dialogue' between labor, management, and government, which was halted after the Dec. 3 martial law incident, will also be resumed this month to discuss ongoing employment issues.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the '2025 major business promotion plan' containing these details on the 10th.
The main points of the business promotion plan presented by the Ministry include: ▲ continuous promotion of labor reform for future generations ▲ focusing on livelihood stability in employment ▲ enhancing tailored services for different target groups ▲ establishing a labor-management voluntary safety and health system. Vice Minister Kim Min-seok noted, "This year, the government will focus on job matching while promoting labor reform."
Regarding the continuous promotion of labor reform for future generations, the government aims to enhance corporations' job creation capabilities and maintain social dialogue. Vice Minister Kim stated, "Since a ruling has been made regarding standard wages, we plan to revise and announce the labor-management guidelines in January to resolve field uncertainties."
Previously, the Supreme Court's en banc decision on Dec. 19 expanded the scope of standard wages, ruling that periodic bonuses tied to specific conditions qualify as standard wages if paid regularly and uniformly. This overturned an existing precedent after 11 years. This ruling means that employees could receive more money, while companies face increased burden.
Additionally, there are plans to continue labor-management dialogue regarding ongoing employment issues caused by population problems such as aging. Currently, the social dialogue being facilitated by the Economic, Social and Labor Council is on hold, as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, responsible for the labor sector, declared a halt to dialogue following the martial law incident. Vice Minister Kim noted, "While political instability is significant, I believe that (especially in such times) dialogue is even more necessary." In this regard, it is reported that labor representatives plan to attend a discussion scheduled for this month.
The government also plans to provide employment support in response to job uncertainty this year. It aims to execute 70% of the budget within the first half of the year and to provide 1.1 million job opportunities in the first quarter in collaboration with related ministries. There are also plans to hold a large-scale job fair in the first half of the year.
In addition, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will work to establish a labor-management voluntary safety and health system by focusing on enhancing safety capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises and supporting areas vulnerable to industrial safety. It also plans to offer tailored employment services for various age groups, including youth and middle-aged individuals.