Gov`t approves new labor union laws

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- The government on Friday approved a set of new laws
calling for drastic changes in the country's labor union system, which passed in
the National Assembly earlier in the day despite objection from labor groups and
opposition parties.
Under the new provisions, firms will be banned from paying wages to full-time
union officials from July this year and multiple labor unions will be permitted
at a single company from 2011 July. Workers say both those measures will weaken
union influence, and employers fear they will only increase workplace tension.
A total of 27 economy-related bills approved by the Cabinet Friday will go into
effect after President Lee Myung-bak's final sanction.
Due to fierce opposition from both labor and management, the government has on
three occasions delayed implementing the labor union bills, originally legislated
back in 1997.
Setting the deadline for Jan. 1 this year, the government has held a series of
meetings over the past months with representatives from labor and management but
failed to narrow differences.
Opposition parties and labor groups continue to snub the new plans despite a
government compromise to delay their implementation.
The bills won parliamentary approval earlier Friday despite a boycott by
opposition party members.
The government is set to review and pass the New Year's budget totaling 292.8
trillion won, or US$252.6 billion, next Monday, officials said.
The spending plan for 2010, 2.9 percent bigger than the previous year's budget,
was also snubbed by the main opposition Democratic Party, which has with 87 seats
in the 298-member unicameral house compared with the ruling party's 169.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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