Pressing Ahead With a New Labor Bill

The government plans to give caddies, who are categorized as special workers, the right to act collectively as well as the right to organize and bargain collectively. With the right of collective action, workers are allowed to stage strikes aimed at improving their working environment. However, insurance agents, home-visiting teachers, and drivers of trucks loaded with ready-mixed concrete won’t be given that right.

The plan is expected to face opposition in the National Assembly since businesses are voicing their concerns over an increase in labor costs.

The Ministry of Labor reportedly came up with a bill giving the abovementioned rights to special workers, finished negotiations with related ministries about the proposed bill titled “the law on the protection of special workers,” and will send it to the National Assembly next week.

If the parliament signs the bill into law, it will take into effect later this year.

Under the proposed law, special employees, who have been categorized as self-employed businesspeople so far, will have rights of organization and collective bargaining if they meet certain conditions: working in at least one workplace or be engaged in one business; constantly providing their labor; and living on their salaries from the work. Insurance agents, home-visiting teachers, and “remicon” drivers fall into this category.

Caddies, in particular, are considered to be laborers under the labor law and will have all the three labor rights since they are deemed to be subordinate to a company. Special workers are entitled to insurance including medical insurance and will be protected under the law.

The government also plans to come up with new bills that guarantee basic labor rights following the measure presented last October that entitles special workers to workplace casualty insurance.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy and the Financial Supervisory Commission initially opposed the idea of giving special workers basic labor rights for fear of reduced employment, but they gave in to a determined Ministry of Labor. However, the business sector expressed their concern, saying businesses will shoulder an increased burden and this will in turn result in reduced jobs eventually.

An official at the Korea Golf Course Business Association said, “We are considering substantially reducing the number of caddies.”

Kim Tae-ki, an economics professor at Dankuk University, said, “The government seems to be adopting a law that entails adverse effects for the sake of political interest. That will undermine the basis of labor policies.”

legman@donga.com libra@donga.com