By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
A senior lawmaker of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) appealed Monday to workers to work together with the government and management to tide over the economic crisis facing the nation.
GNP floor leader Hong Joon-pyo called on the three parties to unite under what he called a ``tripartite social compact.''
``Labor unions should be committed not to seek strikes that will cause lost working days. Employers, meantime, should promise that their employees' jobs are to be secured and their hard work will pay off,'' Rep. Hong said in a speech to a plenary National Assembly session.
He also defined the role of government to overcome the current crisis, saying it should regain public confidence by successfully stabilizing the economy and create more jobs.
The government has unveiled massive bailout plans for the construction industry, the banking sector as well as small- and medium-sized firms to protect them from the economic malaise.
Hong argued the series of policy remedies will not turn out to be effective unless all entities in the community share the burden in the face of the global financial crisis.
The GNP floor leader made it clear that his party backs President Lee Myung-bak's drive for tax cuts and deregulation.
Opposition parties responded negatively to Hong's speech.
Rep. Cho Jeong-sik of the largest opposition Democratic Party commented that Hong's speech was disappointing. ``The ruling party floor leader has not addressed public concern properly,'' he said.
Cho also said Hong's speech has no protective measures for the middle- and working-class families hit hard by the economic downturn.
Liberty Forward Party Spokeswoman Park Sun-young said the governing party is not responsive to public demands, given it reiterated its willingness to support deregulation and tax cuts about which many are concerned.
The Democratic Labor Party said it will not cooperate with the GNP to move the economy forward unless President Lee replaces his economic policymakers.
GNP floor leader Hong pledged that his party will try to pass the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) during the current Assembly session.
The FTA was signed last year under the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration. The Assembly has yet to ratify the deal.
He called the South Korea-U.S. FTA a locomotive of opportunity that will help the economy pick up.
Hong made clear that his party supports the controversial bill that would allow business owners having experienced business losses due to violent protests to seek a collective action against those protestors.
``There is no question that the freedom of association should be strictly protected. But the freedom can be limited when and if one seeks it at the expense of other individuals' freedom or public interest,'' he said.