[Sejong = E-Daily Reporter Cho Min-Jung ] The ruling and opposition parties are set to clash over the introduction of special exemptions to the “52-hour workweek” under the “Yellow Envelope Act” (amended Trade Union Act) and the Special Act on Mega Special Economic Zones.

According to the National Assembly and other sources on the 13th, the National Assembly’s Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee (Climate and Environment Committee) will begin its parliamentary audit of the employment and labor sector at the National Assembly that day, starting with the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Economic, Social, and Labor Council (ESLC), the Central Labor Relations Commission, and the Minimum Wage Commission will undergo audits on the 16th, while affiliated agencies such as the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency will be audited on the 23rd.

On the 27th, a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Economic, Social, and Labor Council will be held to review pending issues raised during previous audits and follow-up measures.

Key issues include on-site confusion resulting from the implementation of the “Yellow Envelope Act” and the special labor provisions to be included in the “Mega Special Zone Act.” As the “Yellow Envelope Act” enters its seventh month of implementation and the Labor Relations Commission is issuing rulings, questions are expected to focus on the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

In particular, at Hanwha Ocean, labor-management tensions are escalating, as the company has appealed the Central Labor Relations Commission’s ruling and filed a motion with the court to stay its enforcement. With the court having rejected the motion to stay enforcement, Hanwha Ocean is now required to negotiate with workers employed by Wellive, a subcontractor responsible for on-site catering, commuter bus services, and facility management.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plans to hold a press conference in front of the Blue House today to urge direct negotiations with principal contractors following the implementation of the “Yellow Envelope Law.” The KCTU is calling on the government to take legal action against workplaces that refuse to negotiate, such as Hanwha Ocean, and is arguing that the interpretive guidelines should be scrapped.

Questions are also expected regarding the “one-point social dialogue” currently being promoted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Key issues in the special labor provisions for mega special economic zones include the “white-collar exemption”—which exempts high-income research and development (R&D) personnel from the 52-hour workweek—and the “2+2 fixed-term contract” system, which extends the maximum employment period for fixed-term workers. The fourth working-level consultation meeting is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on the 14th.