Samsung Electronics Strike Risk Puts Emergency Mediation Under Scrutiny

As negotiations between Samsung Electronics labor and management broke down, the possibility of a full strike has increased, drawing attention to whether the government will invoke emergency mediation. Business circles argue that active government intervention may be needed because any disruption to semiconductor production could have a major impact on the national economy. Emergency mediation is a system under the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act that the labor minister may invoke when industrial action is feared to seriously harm the national economy. Once invoked, union action is halted immediately and strikes are banned for 30 days, while labor and management enter a mandatory mediation process. For now, however, the government appears to be placing more weight on autonomous bargaining and post-dispute mediation than immediate review. Concerns over restricting the three basic labor rights and the current administration’s emphasis on labor-management autonomy are cited as reasons for caution. Source: rss.donga.com