A labor law that allows multiple labor unions at a single workplace goes into effect next month, raising hopes that it will bolster representation of more diverse workers and pave the way for workers at union-free companies to unionize.
The labor law, first enacted in 1997, goes into force on July 1 after a more than a decade of postponement due to worries over an increase in labor strikes and growth of competition and conflicts among labor groups.
The suspension of its enforcement has, however, been lifted as the country came under continued criticism by the United Nations' International Labor Organization to free up workers' rights to unionize.
The new law allows more than one authorized labor union at a single workplace, giving workers the option to choose among a variety of unions pushing to achieve different goals. Labor authorities say the new law is likely to stimulate competition among labor groups to win over union members, enhancing workers' union participation and labor activities.
"The adoption of multiple labor unions has helped install a labor system equaling the world standard, which will bring in an advanced labor-management relationship," Jeong Un-bae, an official at the Ministry of Employment and Labor said.
Two umbrella labor groups -- the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions -- however, argued the new law may weaken and spread out unions' bargaining power while driving up bargaining costs.
According to the law, diverse labor unions representing a single workplace are required to pick one representative bargaining unit, a requirement likely to create competition and conflicts among labor groups over who gets to be at the negotiating table with management.
Labor groups are free to select the bargaining unit through their own ways, but the union with a majority membership gets to represent the bargaining unit if they fail to reach an agreement.
"Excessive free up of multiple labor unions may set off labor groups' competition to win 'integrity' image in order to gain labor membership and (through that) sharply increase negotiating costs," labor activist-turned lawmaker Kim Sung-tae said.
The new law is also expected to give rise to unionization of previously union-free companies like steel maker POSCO and electronics giant Samsung Electronic Co.
Currently the workforce of the two firms are sparsely represented by labor unions indirectly set up by corporate management but the new law legalizes additional labor unions at the companies that have huge numbers of employees. (Yonhap)