Hello, I am Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at The Korea Times. I primarily cover financial authorities and write articles on a wide range of topics related to finance and capital markets. If you have any information to share, feel free to email me at jjh@koreatimes.co.kr, and I will review it carefully. I am committed to always doing my best to communicate with readers through high-quality articles.
Gov't move to reform workweek system faces labor resistance
gettyimagesbank
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
The government's move to increase the maximum weekly work hours to 69 from the current 52 is facing a backlash from workers, who claim that the envisioned measures will only benefit employers and force employees to work longer hours.
The government's plan to reform the country's workweek system, announced on March 6, has been billed as offering flexibility beyond the mandatory 52-hour cap on the workweek, introduced by the previous Moon Jae-in administration, by extending the maximum weekly work hours to 69 during weeks with heavy workloads. The government added that workers will be granted longer vacations, instead.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor has used the so-called “MZ generation,” a term referring to Millennials and Generation Z, as a shield against any possible controversy over the plans, saying the younger generation prefers flexibility in work and life.
Also, the vice labor minister said on March 9 that “a large majority of people” wanted to reform the system.
Contrary to these expectations, the government's announcement has invited negative comments from various groups, including a labor group comprised of the MZ generation members.
“The government's plans run counter to consistent efforts by the international community to improve the work environment of laborers,” the group said in its recent statement.
Members of a labor group representing the MZ generation announce a resolution during a launching ceremony of the group at the Dongja Art Hall in Seoul's Yongsan District, Feb. 21. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
Workers in the IT industry also opposed the plans, saying the country will regress to the past if the 69-hour workweek is introduced.
They say IT workers, especially those in the game industry, had long suffered from the so-called “crunch mode,” which has been blamed for the deaths of several workers, until the mandatory 52-hour cap the workweek came into effect in 2018. The term refers to working extra hours for extended periods of time in order to finish an urgent project or meet a deadline.
According to a survey by the Korea Creative Content Agency, 60.6 percent of workers in the game industry said they had worked extended overtime in 2019. This figure sharply declined to 15.4 percent in 2021.
“Enabling a maximum 69-hour workweek during the peak season is equivalent to returning to the 'crunch mode,' and this will damage workers' health,” an official at a major IT company headquartered in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, said. “Even if longer vacations are given, workers who are tired out from overworking can barely recover.”
The government's claim that its plans will guarantee longer vacations for workers have also faced skepticism.
A civic group specializing in workplace abuse said Sunday that 30.1 percent of 1,000 workers surveyed from Dec. 7 to 14 last year said their employers did not allow them to take their annual leave.
“Many workers are still facing difficulties taking their annual leave when they want,” an official at the civic group said. “I doubt workers will be able to enjoy a one-month vacation, as announced by the government.”
Kim Sung-hee, a professor at the Korea University Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, said some industries would need longer working hours during the peak season, but making the 69-hour workweek as a system is not proper as it would expose workers to longer working hours more frequently.
He also raised skepticism about the government's guarantee of longer vacations.
“Employers forcing employees to work longer hours basically seek to save personal expenses. The government's plans to enable companies to increase the maximum weekly work hours reflect these employers' desires,” Kim said. “But expanding vacations requires more money. I think the plan is less effective.”