REPLACEMENT, DISPATCHED WORKERS TO BE REVISED

[Anchor Lead]

The Labor Ministry Monday made a report to President Yoon about their work plan for the year. Their plans included various controversial issues including the flexible 52-hour work system. However, clashes are expected with the labor circle as most of the plans were found to have accepted the management's stance.

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The labor ministry has found with the help of think tanks that the median monthly wage of dispatched workers stands at 2.15 million won. The current law permits workers dispatch in 32 sectors, including security, cleaning and parking. Employers who use dispatched workers for over two years are required to employ them directly, even if they are engaged in a sector where worker dispatch is permitted. The government has decided to lift the restriction in order to permit more sectors to use dispatched workers. The government is also pushing to amend the Labor Union Act, which prohibits hiring new staff or replacing striking workers when business operations stop due to strikes. This will allow businesses to minimize damage from walkouts. These measures were proposed by the business community to the government as part of efforts to innovate regulations.

[Soundbite] Lee Jung-sik(Labor minister) : "Pres. Yoon said securing a balanced negotiating power between labor and management and easing regulations is necessary for creating decent jobs."

Labor circles blasted the move. Two major trade unions claim that allowing more sectors to hire dispatched workers will only promote illegal worker dispatches and produce more temporary workers. A recent Supreme Court ruling says that POSCO, Hyundai Motor and Kia must hire workers from subcontractors because their services constitute illegal dispatch. The trade unions also raised concerns that permitting employers to hire substitute workers during strikes could violate the right of collective action guaranteed by the constitution. The U.S. and U.K. allow businesses to replace striking workers, whereas in France, Germany and Spain it is either outlawed or restricted.

[Soundbite] Prof. Park Eun-jung(Inje Univ.) : "Workers’ strikes will inevitably lose ground if they are replaced during walkouts. Those countries believe that employers must be banned from replacing striking workers to guarantee their right to strike."

The government has vowed to come up with a plan in the first half of the year after discussing the matter with labor and management. But most of the stipulations require law revisions, meaning likely clashes in parliament.