President Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday that "small business owners should be allowed collective bargaining, and at minimum, the right to organize must be guaranteed."
The remarks are interpreted as a call to revise current laws that classify collective actions by small business owners against large corporations as "collusion."
President Lee made the comments during a meeting with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) at Cheong Wa Dae, stating that "the fundamentally vulnerable position of workers has always been a problem."
"While the three labor rights—the right to organize, the right to collective action, and the right to collective bargaining—are guaranteed by the Constitution, I question whether they are effectively functioning given that the right to organize is not sufficiently secured," he said. "Small business owners should be given the opportunity to bargain collectively."
Currently, even if franchise owner associations demand collective negotiations with headquarters, there is no means to compel compliance if headquarters refuses. President Lee's remarks are interpreted as meaning that small business owners should be granted rights to organize and bargain comparable to those of labor unions.
The Fair Trade Commission is also pursuing amendments to the Fair Trade Act that would partially allow small business owners and franchise owners to form groups for negotiations. The business community has expressed concerns that this would increase the burden on companies.
President Lee also reiterated the need to revise the current Fixed-Term Employment Act. "This law was created to encourage conversion to permanent employment, but it has effectively become a 'law prohibiting employment beyond two years.' I hope we can create realistic alternatives," he said.
He also pointed out, "Isn't it strange that for the same work, some are selected to receive more benefits while those not selected face far greater disadvantages?"
Additionally, President Lee requested KCTU's participation in social dialogue bodies including the Economic, Social and Labor Council.
KCTU Chairman Yang Kyung-soo responded, "I believe it is necessary to create a structure for collective labor-management discussions, such as labor-government dialogue or cross-enterprise bargaining, to discuss countermeasures together."
This was President Lee's first solo meeting with KCTU since taking office.
