hankyoreh

The bulk of the responsibility for the confusion surrounding the issue of the Irregular Worker Law can only be placed on Minister of Labor Lee Young-hee. It is also not going overboard for people in the labor world to be calling for him to step down. Minister Lee has revealed numerous problem areas, from his basic philosophy on the labor situation to his methods of resolving pending issues.

First, Lee does not seem to know what his basic responsibility in the government is. Many experts are commenting that a situation like the current one would not have taken place had he merely faithfully executed the follow-up measures on the Irregular Worker Law and comprehensive measures on irregular worker positions in the public sector created by the labor ministry during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Lee, however, has not established any adequate measures to protect workers in irregular positions, whether before the fact or after the fact. Instead, he has even said, “The Irregular Worker Law was made during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, wasn’t it?” This statement goes beyond the bounds of common sense, and is clearly from someone who does not know what it means to preserve continuity of government.

Second, Lee has adhered to a position of making excuses and passing the buck. Lee’s statements are characterized by the view that he has done nothing wrong himself, and responsibility for everything falls on lawmakers and the labor world. He is even trying to duck the situation by saying, “The Labor Ministry does feel moral responsibility, but the National Assembly must assume ultimate responsibility.”

Third, even Lee’s basic philosophy is unsuited for a person in his position. He has made countless pro-business statements since taking office. For example, he has said, “The currently operating Labor Standards Act has an element of overprotection.” With regard to the issue of the Irregular Worker Law, he has expressed, “Saying that irregular positions are forms of wrongful employment is a wrong-headed obsession.” The major source behind the current mess surrounding the Irregular Worker Law lies in this misguided philosophy of Lee’s.

Fourth, there is a serious lack of communication on the part of the labor ministry, where social consensus and agreement are regarded as important duties. Whereas a position of active dialogue and communication is demanded from the Minister of Labor more than anyone else, Lee has revealed himself to be hostile to the labor world time and time again. Every time the labor world has proposed dialogue, he has brushed them off by saying that he “does not have the time” or that the proposal “lacks genuineness.” When the minister of labor, stirs up confrontation and discord instead of resolutions to conflict, peace between labor and the government remains in the distance.

Finally, it is right for Lee to resign as labor minister in the interest of resolving the problems that he himself has created. As long as he remains in his position insisting on the postponement of the implementation of and now revision of the Irregular Worker Law, the knots of that law will never be loosened. Lee should know that his resignation is the only service he can offer now for workers in irregular positions.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]