WORKING LEVEL MEETING OVER JOB CRISIS

[Anchor Lead]

The labor circles, business community and the government are preparing for social dialogue on overcoming the jobs crisis. At the first working-level meeting on Wednesday, the participants agreed to begin discussions as early as next week. It will be the first social dialogue involving both federations of trade unions in 21 years.

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The offer to hold emergency labor-management talks on how to overcome the coronavirus crisis was first made by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. After much deliberation, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions has decided to take part in the talks. A working-level meeting was held behind closed doors on Wednesday to prepare for the negotiations. Senior executives from both federations as well as the Korea Enterprises Federation attended the meeting presided over by the Prime Minister's Office.

[Soundbite] SONG BO-SEOK(SPOKESPERSON, KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS) : "We did not discuss the agenda. It was a working-level meeting to prepare for the talks as soon as possible."

The participants have agreed to meet again on Friday to set the date for the talks. The negotiations will likely begin as early as next week. It will be the first social dialogue involving both federations since the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions left the Korea Tripartite Commission 21 years ago. But labor and management still appear split. The labor circles are demanding that dismissal ban be discussed first. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, for its part, is calling for guaranteeing workers' livelihoods, because businesses are supported by national taxes. It also stresses that social security, including employment insurance for all citizens, must be discussed as a priority. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions has pledged to take part in the discussion of all issues, because the coronavirus crisis is different from all the other crises that the country has experienced so far. Meanwhile, management is demanding that extended work hours be acknowledged widely and employment maintenance funding be expanded significantly. With the negotiations expected to hit some snags along the way, many are calling on the involved parties to reach consensus at all costs amid the challenging times for the job market.