Yoon vows to create labor court to protect nonunion, vulnerable workers

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday proposed a law to better protect the rights of nonunion workers and vowed to establish a court specifically dedicated to labor-related issues during his five-year presidency.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks during a public livelihood debate on labor issues, the 25th town hall session of its kind, at an employment and welfare center in central Seoul on Friday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday proposed a law to better protect the rights of nonunion workers and vowed to establish a court specifically dedicated to labor-related issues during his five-year presidency.

"The state will take more active responsibility to protect vulnerable workers by enacting laws to support them," Yoon said during a town hall meeting at a job center in Seoul. "We need to establish an institutional basis to protect vulnerable workers at a more fundamental level."

He promised that the government will come up with a "law to support and protect vulnerable workers so that the state can take more active responsibility."

The latest public livelihood debate, the 25th of its kind, brought together some 70 workers representing various sectors, including delivery and construction, to focus on labor issues concerning nonunion and other vulnerable workers.

Yoon said the government will support aid associations that will enable nonunion workers to receive financial aid when they suffer from illnesses, injuries or unemployment. It will also support establishing an arbitration body so that vulnerable workers can quickly resolve disputes and receive proper protection.

Yoon pinpointed vulnerable workers including those working in delivery, designated drivers and courier service, noting, "If labor reform ignores the reality of these labor disadvantaged workers, it cannot be considered a proper reform."

He noted that delivery workers are especially exposed to the risk of traffic accidents, but lack a safety net, and said the government plans to "greatly reduce the burden of insurance premiums" through such reform measures.

"Our society has now reached a stage where the establishment of a labor court is necessary," Yoon said.

He then urged officials to "swiftly prepare a bill to establish a labor court that can be introduced during my term of office."

He stressed the importance of creating a one-track system that can handle violations of both labor-related criminal laws and civil damages.

Yoon urged for consultations with the Labor Ministry, Justice Ministry and, if necessary, the judicial branch.

In keeping with such efforts, the Ministry of Employment and Labor is set to open a new bureau dedicated to supporting nonunion workers next month.

Yoon further addressed the issue of discriminatory compensation between unionized and nonunionized workers, noting this leads to significant differences in wages, welfare and social status.

"Due to the polarization of the labor market, the underprivileged, who have difficulty raising their voices, are being pushed into an even more difficult situation," he said.

A key policy platform for the Yoon administration is reform in three major areas — labor, education and pension — along with medical care.

Yoon again stressed his commitment to these major social reforms, but indicated difficulties due to political opposition.

Noting that reform measures inevitably make enemies in the process, Yoon noted that "reform will ultimately be beneficial to many people, but someone else will lose some of their vested interests."

He said such reforms are "fundamental to enable the people to live more stably," and reiterated his determination to carry out such measures for the sake of the people.

Yoon called the latest town hall "season two of the public livelihood debates," which were held nationwide since the beginning of the year to better communicate with the people.

He last held a town hall session, bringing together officials and members of the public to discuss livelihood issues, in Cheongju, North Chungcheong on March 26, ahead of the April 10 general election.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]