In today’s News and Commentary, Korean unions oppose labor exemption bill, Portland city workers prepare to strike, and the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate student union looks to dismiss a university filing claiming that certain grad students are not eligible for representation.
In Seoul, labor unions came out in opposition of a new bill which would create special economic zones with reduced labor protections. The bill was introduced by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the liberal majority party headed by President Lee Jae Myung. Known as the Special Act on Super-Regional Economic Zones, the bill would allow local governments to form a larger economic “mega-zone” which would come with faster permitting and additional tax incentives. However, the current proposal also includes significant labor exemptions. Certain workers would be allowed make individual agreements which are outside of Korea’s Labor Standards Act, which could extend the workweek beyond the current 52-hour legal limit. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions immediately condemned the plan, saying that this would not only harm workers in the short term but also pave the way for a broader erosion of labor protections down the line. The DPK insists that the current bill is not the final version, and that it will pursue discussions on a proposal without the labor exemptions as well. Korean business leaders, on the other hand, claim the exemptions must be included for the plan to work.
In Portland,...
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