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| ▲ Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the ruling People Power Party speaks to Rep. Jeon Hae-chel of the main opposition Democratic Party, who heads the parliamentary labor and environment committee, at a committee plenary meeting at the National Assembly on Feb. 21, 2023. (Yonhap) |
opposition parties-labor bill
Opposition parties railroad pro-labor bill through parliamentary committee
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Yonhap) -- A contentious pro-labor bill restricting damages suits against striking workers passed through the opposition-controlled parliamentary labor committee Tuesday, moving a step closer to its final passage amid protest from the ruling party and businesses.
The main opposition Democratic Party and the minor opposition Justice Party passed the revision to the Trade Union And Labor Relations Adjustment Act through the committee after members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) walked out of the meeting in protest.
The two opposition parties hold a majority in the committee.
The revision guarantees the bargaining rights of indirectly employed workers and prohibits litigation for damages and provisional seizures against unionized workers for the purpose of suppressing their strikes, which could make it difficult for employers to file complaints against illegal strikes by their workers and exempt laborers from liability for holding illegal strikes.
It has been nicknamed the "yellow envelope bill" after a person donated 47,000 won (US$36) in cash in a yellow envelope to unionized SsangYong Motor Co. workers following a 2013 court ruling that ordered them to pay 4.7 billion won for causing losses in a strike.
The PPP and business lobbies have opposed the bill, saying it gives excessive immunity to unionized workers and could potentially hurt smaller businesses.
Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik has also urged the National Assembly to reconsider the pro-labor bill, saying the envisioned enactment would "shake the foundation of the rule of law," and argued the bill could cause uncertainty and unpredictability for employers.
Following Tuesday's passage, the bill will be referred to the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee. But it is widely believed that the bill may not pass through as the committee is headed by a PPP lawmaker.
In that the case, opposition parties are expected to present the bill directly to the Assembly's plenary session. Bills can be directly referred to the plenary session if they are pending for more than 60 days in the judiciary committee.
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