Ruling party supports tripartite agreement on labor reforms

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) on Saturday said
it supports a tripartite agreement reached between labor, management and
government and called for detailed follow-up talks in parliament.

The broad deal ironed out Friday calls for the introduction of multiple unions in
2012, and banning salaries for union leaders from July to "normalize" the
country's labor environment, GNP lawmakers said.
The Ministry of Labor, the Federation of Korea Trade Unions and the Korea
Employers' Federation reached the accord after long-drawn negotiations.
Originally, Seoul wanted to implement labor market reforms starting in 2010, that
would permit multiple unions and prohibit companies from paying workers who
exclusively engage in union activities.
"Friday's agreement is significant because it is the result of dialogue," GNP
floor leader Ahn Sang-soo said. He stressed that it is the role of the National
Assembly to respect such a deal and draw up plans so it can be supported by law.
This view was echoed by Rep. Cho Yoon-sun, the party's spokeswoman, who said the
most important thing in the labor-management negotiations is that consensus has
been reached by the interested parties.
"Since the tripartite talks have not dealt with details but only set the broad
framework, lawmakers should try to move the process forward," she added.
The lawmaker, said that the Democratic Party and other opposition parties should
take part in future negotiations instead of trying to object to the broad deal.
Others in the party, which holds a clear majority in the 299-seat National
Assembly, said a draft of the GNP's stance on the three-way agreement should be
reached by next week. The party's official stance should also be reached through
a general meeting of lawmakers in the near future.
yonngong@yna.co.kr