Samsung Electronics Strike Risk Puts Government Review of Emergency Adjustment Rules in Focus

The government is reviewing whether it could invoke emergency adjustment powers if a Samsung Electronics labor union strike becomes a reality. According to the government and labor circles on May 13, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has begun behind-the-scenes legal checks on whether the union’s industrial action could meet the requirements, including its possible impact on the national economy. Emergency adjustment can be exercised by the labor minister when a union dispute action poses a risk of seriously harming the national economy or endangering people’s daily lives. Since the system was introduced in 1963, it has been used only four times, and the government is taking a cautious approach because it could restrict the constitutionally protected right to collective action. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the government should actively support continued dialogue between labor and management so the dispute does not lead to a strike under any circumstances. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance and Economy Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon also stressed dialogue. Source: rss.donga.com