Firms reform wage system

[Anchor]

Since the Supreme Court ruling at the end of last year, bonuses with conditions have also been included as regular wages.

As the burden of labor costs increases, some companies are pushing for wage reforms that reduce the regular wage items, leading to criticism that this is a sneaky tactic.

Reporter Kim Chae-rin has the details.

[Report]

Recently, Hyundai Heavy Industries announced a plan to reform its office worker wage system.

The plan includes converting the homecoming travel expenses previously paid to employees into welfare points.

Homecoming travel expenses can now be included as regular wages due to the Supreme Court ruling at the end of last year.

The company explains that this reform is aimed at expanding welfare benefits.

However, employees are expressing dissatisfaction, questioning whether this is just a 'trick' to avoid raising regular wages.

If it is indeed about expanding workers' welfare benefits, there are doubts about whether consent is even necessary, and furthermore, they have been asked to publicly disclose their consent.

[Hyundai Heavy Industries Employee/Voice Altered: "(If we oppose) we could receive poor evaluations. There are so many ways to do it anonymously, like through text messages..."]

Among companies facing increased labor cost burdens due to the Supreme Court ruling, some are expanding items that are not included in regular wages, such as performance bonuses and welfare points.

[Kim Dong-min/Labor Attorney: "They are shifting their approach to maintain or reduce regular wages in line with the existing amount. The company emphasizes that it is a strategic move for welfare..."]

"The company is eliminating holiday bonuses and telling us to receive them as performance bonuses."

"They are getting rid of bonuses and creating allowances just to roughly match the salary."

Online, there are numerous complaints about companies employing all sorts of 'loopholes'.

[Jang Jong-soo/Labor Attorney/Secretary General of Workplace Abuse 119 Online Union: "(If there is a union) the union can carefully check these things and confirm what becomes disadvantageous when changes occur, allowing them to refuse. In workplaces without a union, when employees are unaware, they may end up agreeing to unfavorable wage reforms..."]

The Ministry of Employment has stated that when companies reduce regular wage items, they will guide them to obtain the consent of a majority of workers, but there are concerns that this may not be sufficient to prevent unilateral wage reforms.

This is KBS News, Kim Chae-rin.