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The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) holds a press conference in front of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 13th to demand the scrapping of the Yellow Envelope Act enforcement decree. / Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which had halted its push to rejoin social dialogue due to internal opposition, has resumed its struggle, this time voicing opposition to the enforcement decree and implementation guidelines for the Yellow Envelope Act.

On the 13th, the KCTU held a press conference in front of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno-gu, Seoul, demanding the repeal of the enforcement decree and implementation guidelines for the Yellow Envelope Act (the revised Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act). This marks its first official move since a vote on rejoining social dialogue fell through on the 7th.

During the conference, the KCTU stated, "Seven months have passed since the passage of the Yellow Envelope Act, yet the reality on the ground today remains far from that promise. While 644 worksites affiliated with the KCTU demanded negotiations with primary contractors, talks are underway at merely 22 of them." It explained, "The basis allowing primary contractors to hold out lies nowhere other than in the enforcement decree and interpretive guidelines issued by the government."

The KCTU has demanded the scrapping of the enforcement decree, arguing that it forces a single bargaining channel system in negotiations with primary contractors, leading to delays in collective bargaining. It has also voiced opposition to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's implementation guidelines, which excluded performance-based bonus demands tied to a set percentage of corporate profits from mandatory bargaining subjects.

The KCTU emphasized, "Overturning the legislative intent of a law passed by the National Assembly through administrative guidelines and restricting the three basic labor rights guaranteed by the Constitution with a mere directive is a clearly anti-labor and unconstitutional act." It added, "What the government should do is not provide primary contractors with an excuse to evade bargaining, but fulfill its duty to ensure they come to the negotiating table."

It then urged primary contractors to accept bargaining demands from subcontracted workers and called on the government to scrap the enforcement decree, interpretive guidelines, and implementation directives for the Yellow Envelope Act.

Yang Kyeung-soo, president of the KCTU, criticized at the press conference, "Workers who demanded bargaining with primary contractors under the revised law are still unable to sit at the negotiation table. This is because the enforcement decree and interpretive guidelines have created loopholes everywhere for employers to slip through." He added, "Bargaining is already difficult due to complicated procedures, and the enforcement decree, interpretive directives, and implementation guidelines are turning the law into a patchwork."

President Yang raised his voice, saying, "Do not undermine the spirit and value of the Yellow Envelope Act. The government must immediately scrap the enforcement decree and nullify the interpretive guidelines from the outset."

On the 7th, the KCTU held an extraordinary congress of delegates to sound out whether to rejoin social dialogue through the Economic, Social and Labor Council. However, some delegates collectively walked out citing insufficient debate, causing the vote to fall through due to a lack of quorum. The KCTU also considered convening an online congress to determine its return, but decided to continue discussions through alternative channels to maintain organizational solidarity.

                                                                                                              Lee Ha-eun