Lee warns excessive union demands can hurt other workers

President Lee Jae-myung on April 30 called on workers to show solidarity with one another, saying labor’s strength comes from unity among people in the same position.
 
Presiding over a meeting of senior presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said the guarantee of the “three basic labor rights” exists for that reason. The rights refer to the freedom to form and join unions, the right to bargain collectively, and the right to take collective action such as strikes.
 
Lee also stressed responsibility by labor unions and employers.
 
“Management should treat workers as valued partners in running a company,” he said, adding that “unions, too, must share a sense of responsibility.” His remarks were widely interpreted as aimed at the Samsung Electronics union, which has demanded performance pay equal to 15% of operating profit and has warned of a general strike.
 
Lee said if “some organized workers” make excessive or unfair demands “just to save themselves” and draw public criticism, it can harm not only that union but other workers as well. He said responsibility and solidarity are needed to build a society where “all workers, and all citizens,” can live together, not one driven by “only I survive.”
 
He added that employers should take the same approach, saying most people will be workers or employers within their families and, more broadly, all are members of South Korea who should try to see issues from the other side.
 
Lee noted that May 1 will be the first Labor Day since his government took office. He said that starting this year, Labor Day has regained its “proper name” and has been designated a legal public holiday, giving it special meaning. He said he hopes the day will be a time for people to share and reflect on the value of work.
 
Lee said narrowing gaps in the labor market is important to building a country where work is respected, and he called for stronger efforts to improve workplace safety.
 
He said policy effects are becoming visible, including a recent decline in deaths from industrial accidents, but added that the government should move faster on stronger on-site oversight and related institutional improvements. He also said working conditions for nonregular workers should be improved in a fair and reasonable direction.
 
Calling the government the country’s largest employer, Lee said it should set an example as a model employer.
 
He also warned that a major shift driven by artificial intelligence will expose labor and industry to fundamental change, and said overcoming the challenge will require a spirit of shared growth and cooperation.