Yoon Ja-young is in charge of articles translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times. She is interested in improving the newspaper through AI.
Minister vows to handle strikes sternly
Strategy and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan speaks at the economic ministers’ meeting held in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. He said the government will take stern action against the strike planned by the labor circle. / Yonhap
By Yoon Ja-young
By Yoon Ja-young
Strategy and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan warned that the government will deal sternly with a strike scheduled for this week by the umbrella union.
“Some in the labor circles are moving for a general strike. However, the strike is aimed at protesting against government policy, not for improvement of labor conditions.”
“It is an illegal strike that has no justification,” Choi said at the economic ministers’ meeting Wednesday.
“Those in the labor circles should think twice about whether the strike will help the youth, the people and the economy, and try to find a solution through dialogue.”
“If they insist on the illegal strike anyhow, the government will sternly deal with it based on law and principles,” he said.
The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the country’s leading umbrella union, is planning a nationwide walkout on April 24 to protest against the government’s labor market reform plan, including easing the firing of regular workers and reform of the government employees’ pension.
The minister, however, stressed that structural reform is essential.
“At the G20 finance ministers’ meeting, the major economies around the world acknowledged that structural reform is a core task for sustainable growth. We will also continue with our reform plan and promotion of investment to make use of the chances for economic recovery, brought by the recent key rate cut and falling global oil prices,” he said.
Choi added that the labor market reforms aim to get rid of uncertainties and increase youth employment.
More concretely, the government is planning to promote peak wages, which cuts an employee's salary at a certain age in return for job security, and narrow the gap between regular and non-regular workers who fulfill similar responsibilities in their work.
The KCTU, however, argues that the government policy will only lead to a cut in the overall wages of workers, not increased pay for non-regular workers.
Meanwhile, ruling Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung also criticized the labor union’s protest plan.
“It is a time when the whole country should cooperate to revitalize the economy and the livelihoods of the people. The general strike should be suspended right away,” he said at a party meeting Wednesday.
“It is global trend to enhance flexibility in the labor market. Without reform, the future of the country is destined to be dark,” he said.