- Discussions on constitutional amendment
Representatives of the ruling and opposition parties had meetings on 13~14 March to discuss constitutional amendment, but failed to reach agreement. The government is planning to propose a bill on constitutional amendment prepared by the President if there is no agreement in the National Assembly. This bill will include equal pay for work of equal value, and three labor rights (organizing, collective bargaining, and collective action) for civil servants, as suggested by the special Committee for Constitutional Reform.
[ Key Labor Points in the Bill on Constitutional Amendment Prepared by the President ]
| Strengthen
workers’ rights |
▴ Change term ‘employee’ to ‘worker’
▴ Insert a new clause to state ‘endeavor’ to ensure the equal pay for equal value of work’ ▴ Change ‘endeavor’ to promote the employment of workers to ‘obligation’ ▴ Insert a new clause to state ‘obligation to carry out policies for work and life balance’ ▴ Add equal bargaining power for both labor and management in terms of defining working conditions ▴ State workers’ right to collective action in order to improve working conditions and protect their rights |
| Three labor rights for civil servants | ▴ Ensure the three labor rights for civil servants
▴ The three labor rights may be restricted in exceptional cases such as military service as defined by law |