The government and the ruling party are gearing up for the expansion of the flexible working hour system. Employment and Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap is exerting his efforts to create the right atmosphere through the meetings with entrepreneurs day in and day out to listen to the difficulties in relation to the expansion of the flexible working hour system.
Minister Lee held a talk on November 14 with the managers and labor representatives of the companies which had already introduced and made use of the flexible working hour system to "listen to the opinions on site in relation to the reduction of the working hours." He plans to meet with the business people of the small and medium-sized enterprises including Korea Federation of SMEs Chairman Park Sung-taek on November 15.
The harder the government and ruling party push for the expansion of the flexible working hour system, the higher the voice of opposition grows. Even different opinions were expressed within the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party, cautioning that "[the expansion of the flexible working hour system] is being processed in haste." Legal, health, civic and social organizations, not to mention the labor circle, are joining the force in opposition, arguing that "[it is] reversing the reduction of working hours and aggravating deaths from overwork."
reported by Bae Hye-jung
translated by Kim Sung-jin