Summer labor strife looms

The labor rights of Korea's unionized workers have, over decades of growth, been the subject of a tug-of-war with management. The so-called “summer labor struggles” — as most companies begin wage negotiations around this time of the year — have been markedly dynamic. Nevertheless, management and labor have generally been able to reach a workable balance, while tenuous and volatile at times, on the path to Korea becoming an export powerhouse. This summer, the labor-management sphere faces new strife, as more unionized workers ask companies to share the unexpected excess profit generated from the country's artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor sectors. Recent labor negotiations have also been attributed in part to the “yellow envelope law,” which took effect in March. The law amended Korea's Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act to guarantee the bargaining rights of subcontracted workers. Calls for companies to share excess profits with workers and the expected rise of negotiations between subcontractors and principal employers are not only major labor hurdl