Tripartite Committee kicks off discussions on follow-up tasks to the Tripartite Agreement
The Special Committee for Structural Reform of the Labor Market under the Economic Social Development Commission (ESDC) began a 2nd term, with the head and public interest members changing during its general meeting on 13 October. The Special Committee plans to accelerate the pace of discussions on such follow-up tasks as reorganization of the expert group, and hold a general meeting once a month in principle.
The Special Committee also decided to find out discussion methods for 2 undiscussed agenda items[1] in the Tripartite Agreement (15 September) and 8 follow-up tasks[2]. In particular, discussions on tasks to improve the Act on the Protection of Fixed-term and Dispatched Workers are to be prioritized with the National Assembly schedule taken into consideration. Tripartite members stated their intention in the Agreement to put it into action by improving the Act on the Protection of Fixed-term and Dispatched Workers in the plenary session of the National Assembly through passage of a bill.
The Special Committee plans to discuss ‘building a tripartite partnership’ after discussing it by the expert group and decided to continue discussions on a ‘consultative body to create jobs for youth’ through establishment of a separate consultative body. With respect to the guidance on ‘clarification of the standards and procedures for labor contract termination and changing employment rules’, the Committee could not decide on specific discussion methods and would discuss methods for consultation in a later secretariat meeting.
[Table 1] Discussions on Follow-up Agenda Items to the Tripartite Agreement
|
Organization |
Discussion Tasks | Discussion Methods |
Period |
|
Special Committee |
▲ Enforce reasonable regulations and employment stability for fixed-term and dispatched workers <top priority task>
▲ Improve occupational safety & health insurance in such ways as including commuting accidents as work-related accidents * Discuss in Occupational Safety & Health Insurance · Prevention Deliberation Committee |
Expert group examination ” Discuss in Special Committee |
Before voting on the bill |
| ▲ Discuss 2 remaining agenda items
– Building a tripartite partnership – Other issues in relation to structural reform (such as improving productivity) |
September 2016 |
||
| ▲ Improve minimum wage system *Discuss in Minimum Wage Council |
January ~ May 2016 |
||
|
Separate consultative body by agenda item |
▲ Plans to create jobs for youth (consultative body on creation of such jobs) |
Establish a separate consultative body by agenda item |
– |
| ▲ Improve regulations on industrial sectors exempted from legal limits on working hours |
Discuss after study by Korea Labor Institute |
– |
|
| Continue to discuss | ▲ Clarify criteria and procedures for changing employment rules to reform wage systems, and standards and procedures for signing and terminating labor contracts |
Continue to discuss consultation methods |
– |
[1] Issues regarding structural reforms such as building a tripartite partnership, and improving productivity
[2] Improve the Act on the Protection of Fixed-term and Dispatched Workers, clarify the standards and procedures for labor contract termination, clarify the requirements and procedures for changing employment rules, improve the minimum wage system and occupational safety & health insurance