Lee Jae-myung to Host First Blue House Labor Day Ceremony With Both Major Unions

President Lee Jae-myung will invite leaders of the country’s two largest labor federations and workers to Cheong Wa Dae’s state guesthouse on May 1, Labor Day, to hold a commemorative ceremony.
 
Cheong Wa Dae said April 30 that Lee will host about 120 guests, including key figures from labor, management and government and workers from a range of occupations and generations, to mark Labor Day, which it said was restored 63 years ago.
 
Both the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions plan to attend, Cheong Wa Dae said.
 
It will be the first time Cheong Wa Dae has hosted a Labor Day ceremony, and the first time the two federations have held a joint Labor Day event.
 
Cheong Wa Dae said the event was made possible as organized labor responded to the Lee administration’s governing stance of “respect for labor.” It said Lee, who it described as a former “boy factory worker,” plans to reflect on the meaning of the restored Labor Day, share in the value of labor and thank workers for their dedication.
 
Lee is expected to use his commemorative address to outline the government’s labor policy direction, including goals he has emphasized since taking office such as “eradicating industrial accidents” and “redistributing the fruits of growth.”
 
With a Samsung Electronics union recently warning of a large-scale strike, attention is also focused on whether Lee will address the issue.
 
Labor Day has been observed since 1923, but in 1963 its name was changed to “Workers’ Day.” The government restored the name Labor Day last year and designated it a legal public holiday this year.