Presidential office promises sufficient discussions before revising working hours

▲ Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon speaks during a press conference at the presidential office in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2023. (Yonhap)

presidential office-working hours

Presidential office promises sufficient discussions before revising working hours

SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office promised Monday to have sufficient discussions with both labor and management before revising the maximum 52-hour workweek system, as the government seeks to provide more flexibility for specific business sectors facing heavy workloads.

According to the decision released earlier in the day by the labor ministry, a particular type of workplace will be subject to a more flexible workweek in a move to introduce greater flexibility into the system that was introduced in 2018. The system limits overtime work to 12 hours per week, ensuring the total number of hours worked remains at 52.

"We will closely examine the realities of workplaces, engaging in extensive dialogue with both labor and management to devise improvements that can be sympathized with by a significant portion of the population," presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said.

The government said that it would determine the extent of the relaxation through on-site surveys and social dialogue, addressing concerns raised by businesses struggling to meet deadlines. Meanwhile, the labor sector strongly opposes the move.

Lee also expressed concern regarding the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (KCTU), a major umbrella labor union, boycotting the presidential advisory board for labor policies -- a crucial communication channel with the government.

"We hope that the KCTU swiftly returns to social dialogue to discuss various issues, including working hours," Lee said.

Under the outcome of a public survey released by the labor ministry Monday, over 46 percent of the public agreed to a measure to increase the maximum overtime hours, in addition to the 52-hour workweek, by up to 12 hours. Slightly over 41 percent of the workers and 38.2 percent of the employers were in favor of the extension.

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