The Public Sector Labor Committee, aimed at discussing employment stability and improving conditions for public sector workers, has been established as a legal entity under the Prime Minister's office. The scope of discussions will extend beyond public and temporary workers to include dispatched, contracted, and outsourced laborers.
On the first day of the Public Sector Labor Committee Act's implementation, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Office for Government Policy Coordination held an inauguration ceremony at the Government Seoul Complex.
The government has pursued the legal establishment of the Public Sector Labor Committee as a national agenda, adhering to the principle of fulfilling its responsibilities as a model employer in the public sector. Following the enactment of the law in February this year, a preliminary consultation body was formed, involving labor representatives, government officials, and experts to prepare the operational framework, discussion structure, and enforcement regulations.
The committee will deliberate and coordinate policies and systems related to the working conditions, employment, wages, personnel, labor, and training of non-regular workers in the public sector, including public workers. Its goal is to eliminate discrimination in the workplace and enhance the quality of employment, ultimately improving public services.
Notably, the new committee has strengthened its legal foundation and participation scope compared to the first phase, which operated from March 2020 to March 2023. Unlike the first phase, which was based on a Prime Minister's directive, the new committee is established under law, providing a sustainable basis for ongoing discussions.
The chairperson will be Im Gi-geun, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, with Kwon Chang-jun, Deputy Minister of Labor, serving as the secretary. The committee will consist of 30 members: 8 from the government, 8 from labor, 8 from employers, and 6 experts. The chairperson will coordinate issues related to improving conditions across various agencies and departments. Unlike the first phase, which was composed solely of government representatives, the new committee includes labor, employer, and expert participation.
The policy scope has also been expanded. In addition to public and temporary workers, the committee will address employment and treatment issues for dispatched, contracted, and outsourced workers. The operational structure will include the Public Sector Labor Committee, a working committee, a development council, and sectoral councils. The Public Sector Labor Committee will make final decisions on overall policy plans and discussion outcomes, while the working committee will play a role in monitoring these plans.
The development council will research institutional improvement measures for common issues across sectors and oversee discussions in the sectoral councils. The sectoral councils will address tasks reflecting the specificities and on-the-ground opinions of each sector.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the first meeting will present the committee's operational plan, rules, and proposals for the working committee's composition. The plan is to finalize the composition of the sectoral councils and organize discussion topics, initiating the operation of the various consultation bodies.
This establishment marks the creation of a legal framework for ongoing discussions on improving working conditions. The announcement did not include specific wage increase rates or allowance improvement plans, and actual improvements will be detailed in future discussions.
Chairperson Im Gi-geun stated, "A stable dialogue system has been established to continuously discuss employment and treatment issues for public sector workers. The government will fulfill its responsibilities as a model employer, and we aim to create a model case of social consensus where labor, government, and experts come together to reach agreements."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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