KCTU Urges Expansion of Work Stoppage Rights and Punishment for Employers Discriminating Against Workers

Expanding Scope to Include Climate Crisis and Emotional Labor; Guaranteeing Work Stoppage Rights for Special Employment Workers and Unions

KCTU Announces Demands to the Government and National Assembly

KCTU National Workers' Rally (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Seo Dae-yeon = The National Union of Korean Labor Unions (KCTU) National Workers' Rally is being held near Sungnyemun Gate in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 15th, the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. 2025.8.15 dwise@yna.co.kr

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has urged the government and the National Assembly to expand the scope of work stoppage rights to prevent industrial accidents and to guarantee these rights for special employment workers.

They also demanded penalties for employers who discriminate against workers or unions that exercise their right to stop work.

The KCTU announced these demands for industrial accident prevention to the government and the National Assembly at a press conference held at the KCTU Education Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 11th.

The KCTU pointed out the reality that workers are unable to exercise their right to stop work, despite it being legally stipulated, and announced plans to launch a campaign with labor unions and civil society in October and November to promote its active use.

According to a 2023 study by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, 83.1% of workers cannot exercise their right to stop work, but 80.5% believe that this right is effective in preventing industrial accidents.

The KCTU emphasized that the scope of work stoppage rights should be expanded to include issues such as the climate crisis and emotional labor, and that these rights should be guaranteed for special employment workers and labor unions. They also added that wages and losses incurred during the period of work stoppage should be compensated.

They also argued that penalties should be established for employers who discriminate against workers or unions that exercise their right to stop work.

Choi Myung-sun, head of the KCTU's Labor Safety and Health Department, stated, "In Korea, work stoppage is only permitted in cases of imminent danger, whereas other countries grant work stoppage rights in various situations, such as violations of safety and health regulations. Currently, work stoppage rights are guaranteed through collective agreements at the workplace level, but in smaller workplaces without unions, these rights are not properly protected, making legal amendments absolutely necessary."

Lee Mi-sun, vice president of the KCTU, said, "Several bills have already been introduced in the National Assembly, including granting unions the right to stop work, compensation and support for wages during work stoppage, and prohibiting damages against workers and unions who have stopped work. To urge legislative action, we will broadly organize a work stoppage declaration campaign involving all unions and civil society, convey our intentions to the National Assembly, and explore ways to connect this to subsequent intensive struggles."

In addition, the KCTU pointed out that the status of industrial accidents, supervision, subsequent investigation, and prosecution/trial outcomes should be disclosed from the perspective of workers' right to know.

They also asserted that unions and subcontracting unions should be guaranteed the right to participate in overall safety and health systems, including risk assessments.

They urged the expansion of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which is currently applied differently by industry and size, to all workplaces, as well as its application to special employment workers. They also called for the establishment of integrated safety and health management systems for prime and subcontractors and the expansion of the introduction of occupational safety and health committees and honorary occupational safety and health supervisors.

They also proposed restricting public fund investments, such as the National Pension Service and the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Fund, for workplaces with frequent industrial accidents to strengthen sanctions against businesses that violate the law.

The KCTU plans to make every effort to realize these demands by pushing for the enactment of legislation concerning occupational safety and health committees, honorary occupational safety and health supervisors, and the advance payment of industrial accident insurance in October and November.

Vice President Lee Mi-sun stated, "Next week, the government will announce its comprehensive labor safety measures. Based on these, we will actively implement various labor safety initiatives. We will strive to actively resolve labor safety issues on-site by developing and carrying out special projects in the first half of next year."