Next Year 5 Day Work Week, `Never Agreed`

The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) announced on August 29 that the Korea Tripartite Commission`s (KTC) August 28 statement, `The labor and management has agreed that starting in July of next year, major enterprises in the public branch of the financial organization will introduce a five day work week` is not true.

In a statement titled, ``The Management`s Position On Announcement Of Five-Day Work Week Mutual Agreement.`` the KEF explained, ``The issue of shorter work hours is being discussed in the `Special Committee on Reducing Work Hours` Labor and management have not reached any decisions on the particular details regarding issues such as a five-day work week and rest days, number of vacations, overtime bonus control.``

The managing director of the KEF and management representative on the Special Committee on Reducing Work Hours, Kim Young Bae said, ``The committee met most recently on the 6th but there were no mutual agreements on a five-day work week. The labor and management decided to discuss the issue again at the general meeting on September 5.``

The Special Committee held a management meeting on the 29th and raised objections to the KTC after discussing the mutual agreement announcement before an agreement was actually reached.

The KTC explained, ``Although it was reported that the KTC made an agreement to a five-day work week starting next July, the report is not true.``

Member of the KTC Standing Committee, Ahn Young Soo said on August 28, ``Public officials are contemplating next July or even March as the implementation date, but with time for preparations, July is the more likely date.`` Meanwhile, vice president Cho Nam-Hong of the KEF and vice president of the regular members of the five economic organizations are planning to meet on August 30 morning at Lotte Hotel and announce the management`s position on the five-day work week.

Koo Ja-Ryong bonhong@donga.com