President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the need to improve the treatment of non-regular workers during the first plenary meeting of the National Economic Advisory Council on April 9th.
Addressing Wage Disparities
During the meeting, held at the presidential office, President Lee stated, “It’s strange in our country that unstable labor should be compensated more, but instead, it is compensated less when it is unstable. This is fundamentally wrong.” He argued that non-regular workers should receive higher compensation than regular workers for the same work, to account for the instability of their employment.
Critique of Current Regulations
President Lee too criticized the current system that limits non-regular employment to two years. He explained that because employers are required to make non-regular employees regular after two years, they avoid hiring for longer than 11 months, effectively circumventing the intention of the law. He stated that the policy, intended to encourage regularization, instead results in employers restricting employment to under two years.
Expanding Unemployment Benefits
President Lee suggested the need to provide unemployment benefits for voluntary unemployment, noting that the current system incentivizes employees to request resignations rather than experience involuntary unemployment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did President Lee Jae-myung say about wage disparities?
President Lee Jae-myung stated that those in stable employment are paid more for the same work as those in unstable employment, and that this is fundamentally wrong.
What was President Lee’s criticism of the current regulations regarding non-regular employment?
President Lee criticized the two-year limit on non-regular employment, stating that it leads employers to avoid hiring for longer than 11 months to avoid being required to make employees regular.
What did President Lee say about unemployment benefits?
President Lee suggested that unemployment benefits should also be provided for voluntary unemployment, as the current system encourages employees to request resignations instead.
How might these proposed changes impact the balance between employer flexibility and worker security in the Korean labor market?
