Umbrella union leader vows to stand up against gov't reform of workweek

• Published date: 10 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

The leader of a major umbrella union on Friday pledged to stand up against the controversial reform of the 52-hour workweek system, accusing the government of trying to cancel labor progress achieved over the past decades.

The government announced a set of labor reform measures on Monday, including enabling companies to increase the maximum work hours per week to 69 hours from the legally permitted 52 hours now.

The measures seek to increase flexibility in the working week so that employers can choose more hours during busy weeks and fewer hours during slow weeks.

"After only a year following the presidential election, we are witnessing the regression of society and the collapse of communities," Kim Dong-myung, the leader of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), said in a speech marking the union's 77th anniversary.

The union leader denounced the workweek reform and accused the government of "trying to take backward steps and bring the state of the labor act back to 70 years ago."

"From measures forcing (labor unions)...