Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor said at a parliamentary audit on the 15th that "protecting the people's lives and safety is the state's top duty," adding, "We will concentrate government-wide capabilities on preventing industrial accidents."
The Minister said in his opening remarks at the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee audit, "We will carry out the comprehensive plan for occupational safety without a hitch and create workplaces that are safe for everyone," noting the same.
Regarding the ministry's policy tasks, the Minister said, "We will strengthen the social safety net for all working people by restructuring employment insurance on an income basis and will greatly expand job training in line with technological changes such as artificial intelligence (AI)," adding, "We will strengthen life-cycle customized support, including a guaranteed first step for youth employment, the spread of work-life balance for working parents, and creating conditions for middle-aged and older workers to work until the age they want."
He also said, "We will prepare guidelines that can enhance predictability by broadly collecting labor and management's views so that the revised Trade Union Act (yellow envelop bill) can take root in workplaces as intended," adding, "We will establish the principle of equal pay for work of equal value so that people are not discriminated against despite doing similar work, and we will reduce labor market gaps."
The Minister said, "To realize fundamental labor rights, we will promote strengthening the preventive function of labor inspections, delegating authority to local governments, and enhancing expertise by expanding training infrastructure for labor inspectors," adding, "Taking into account the need to protect workers at small establishments with fewer than five employees and the acceptability for small business owners, we will gradually expand the Labor Standards Act starting with 'the provisions that must be observed and can be observed.'"
He added, "To meet the continued work demand of the 9.5 million baby boomer generation, we will gradually promote a generational solidarity-type extension of the retirement age through social discussion," and "We will support a reduction in actual working hours in parallel with innovation in ways of working."
In addition, he presented plans including: ▲ mandatory phased introduction of retirement pensions ▲ enactment of a basic law on guaranteeing rights in the workplace ▲ a roadmap to systematize the supply planning of foreign labor and strengthen the protection of their rights and interests.