TALKS BEGIN ON WORKHOURS, SUNSET CLAUSE

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As rival parties passed next year's budget bill last week, they're now hoping to reach an agreement on 'Sunset clauses' such as Extra working hours which will expire with the new year at the plenary session slated for December 28th. Rival parties began discussions starting today, but as they are deeply split on various issues, attention is being drawn on whether they can reach an agreement in 3 days.

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Outside of the 52-hour workweek system, companies with fewer than 30 employees can have them work an extra eight hours per week if agreed upon by labor and management. The system is to expire this year. The rival parties are deeply split on its extension. The National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee is holding a sub-committee meeting on the matter on Monday afternoon, and a general meeting is set for Tuesday. The outlook is bleak. The PPP is calling not only for a two-year extension but even for it to be scrapped to help small businesses.

[Soundbite] Choi Seung-jae(People Power Party(Dec.23)) : "Restrictions on extra working hours deprive workers of their free will and push them to run two jobs and spend their evenings working."

The DP lashed out at the government for instigating conflict by having done nothing so far and launching discussions right before the system was set to expire.

[Soundbite] Lee Soo-jin(Floor Spokesperson,DP) : "Discussing this in December when it's about to expire is a joke. If the situation is as difficult as they say, the parties and the gov’t should come up with a solution before discussing it."

It's also unclear if the bill on extending the safe freight rates system by another three years will be passed. The DP has voted on the bill on its own and it's currently pending at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The government insists on re-considering it from scratch in line with its plan to implement labor reforms. The ruling party also remains adamant on the matter. Consensus has only been reached on extending 20-percent state financing for the national health insurance. Rival parties are hoping to reach an agreement ahead of the plenary session slated for Dec. 28. But the process could be delayed as many other contentious issues, such as the extension of the Itaewon crowd crush probe, have yet to be worked out.