The Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ) and nine other SME bodies asked for Minister Lee Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) to give a reprieve to the punishment of the act on serious industrial disasters to SMEs with fewer than 50 employees.
Heads of 10 SME organizations, including KBIZ Chairman Kim Ki-moon, had a meeting with MSS Minister Lee at KBIZ headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Sept. 26.
The demands included prolonging a grace period of the law for worksites with fewer than 50 employees, flexible working hours, and solving pending labor issues, such as the abolition of the foreign manpower quota and expanding of utilization.
In particular, 80 percent of SMEs said they were not ready for the enforcement of the serious industrial disasters law.
The SME bodies demanded the extension of the grace period during the upcoming plenary parliamentary session, since a revision of the danger evaluation, a core guideline for punishment, was put on official notice in May, so the companies say they need more time for its settlement.
KBIZ Chairman Kim said, “Six out of every 10 SMEs, or 59.7 percent, have raised their voices over excessive labor restrictions of the SME policies the government will implement this year, such as the 52-hour work week and the serious industrial disasters law.
Chairman Kim said MSS and SME organizations will join forces to proactively cooperate and communicate so that labor reform can be achieved in a way worksites can sense.
MSS Minister Lee said, “I sympathize with a need for prolonging the coverage of worksites with fewer than 50 employees by the act on the punishment of serious industrial disasters, and MSS will do its utmost to consult with related ministries and make a parliamentary request so SME industry circles’ demands can be met.”
MSS will fulfill its role as a ministry responsible for SME policies so policies on the workweek and foreign manpower can be overhauled in the interests of SMEs, Minister Lee said.
Among those on hand at the meeting were KBIZ Chairman Kim, Chairman Yoon Hak-soo of Korea Specialty Contractors Association, Chairman Cho In-ho of Korea Mechanical Construction Contractors Association, and Chairman Oh Sae-hee of Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise.
KBIZ Chmn. Kim Calls for Ruling and Opposition Parties to Join Forces for Regulatory Reform
KBIZ Chairman Kim Ki-moon demanded that ruling and opposition parties join forces to abolish “killer restrictions” business circles have explored.
KBIZ Chairman Kim made the request at a meeting with reporters on the sidelines of the 2023 SME Leaders’ Forum at Lotte Hotel Jeju on Sept. 23.
A survey on the parliamentary legislation of the 21st-term National Assembly, released by KBIZ on the same day, showed that 58 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied, and 42 percent replied that they were unsatisfied.
Out of the unsatisfied respondents, 35.7 percent cited political strife and disruption while 26.2 percent mentioned dismissing of legislation in the interest of people’s life.
As for legislation tasks, 58.3 percent cited flexible working hours, followed by 54.3 percent on the overhauling of the act on the punishment of serious industrial disasters and 45.7 percent on family succession.
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