Dispute on working hours

‘근로시간단축’논란

The major political parties tentatively agreed to cut the maximum weekly working hours to 52 from the current 68 during a parliamentary labor subcommittee meeting. 정치권이국회 환경노동위원회 소위회의에서근로시간을현재의주 7일 68시간에서52시간으로단축하는데잠정합의했다. The measure could be discussed at Thursday’s meeting of the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee. 이에따라이문제는목요일환노위회의에서논의될수있을것으로보인다. The current Labor Standards Act recognizes only 52 working hours ― 40 hours during weekdays and 12 overtime hours ― in principle, but makes it possible for laborers to work 16 hours more on Saturdays and Sundays. 현행 근로기준법은 원칙적으로주당법정근로 40시간과 연장근로 12시간을 더한52시간만인정하지만토,일요일16시간의휴일근로도허용하고있다. If the law is revised, laborers can work up to 52 hours during the seven-day workweek. 하지만근로기준법이개정되면1주 7일동안최대52시간만근로가가능해진다.

To cushion the shock from the sudden reduction of legally permitted working hours, the parties agreed that a company with 300 or more employees would be given a two-year grace period. A business that employs fewer than 300 workers will be given a four-year grace period. 정치권은근로시간이갑자기줄어드는충격의완화를위해 300명 이상기업의경우 2년, 300인 미만기업의경우4년의유예기간을뒀다. Cutting working hours is long overdue. 근로시간단축은오래전에이루어졌어야할일이다. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Koreans worked the second-longest hours among OECD members in 2014 with 2,124 hours on average, which is 1.2 times more than the average.경제협력개발기구( OECD) 에 따르면 2014년 한국인들은 회원국 중 두 번째로 긴2,124시간을 일한것으로나타났는데,이는OECD 평균보다거의20퍼센트많은것이다. Therefore few would dispute the need to improve people’s quality of living by reducing working hours. 따라서근로시간을줄여삶의질을높이자는데반대할사람은거의없을것이다. As unemployment has become chronic, one could also expect a job creation effect. 실업이만성화되면서고용창출효과도기대할수있을것이다. But the matter is not that simple. 그러나문제가그렇게간단한건아니다. The likelihood is that companies must bear a greater financial burden because of increased employment. 고용이늘어나게되면기업의부담이커질것으로보이기때문이다. If not, they have no other choice but to reduce production. 기업들은고용을늘리지않을경우생산을줄일수밖에없다. A study by the Korea Economic Research Institute shows that if the maximum working hours are cut, employers must pay 12.3 trillion won more a year as labor costs. 한국경제연구원의 연구에 따르면법정근로시간이줄어들경우기업의 인건비추가부담은연간12조 3천억원늘어나는것으로추산됐다. Of the expenditure, 70 percent must be shouldered by small- and medium-sized companies already struggling with manpower and funding shortages.이중70퍼센트는이미인력및자금부족으로곤란을겪고있는중소기업의부담으로돌아올것이다.

Also, there are doubts about whether the reduction of working hours would ramp up employment as businesses are expected to expand automation rather than hire more workers. 아울러 기업들이 직원을늘리는대신자동화를 확대하게될경우근로시간단축이과연고용을늘릴것인지에대한회의적시각도있다. All this raises fears that the wage gap between large companies where labor movements are strong and smaller ones would widen. 노조가강한대기업과중소기업의임금격차가확대될것이라는우려도만만치않다. Granted, lawmakers have no reason to hurry to revise the Labor Standards Act. 이런문제들을감안하면근로기준법을서둘러개정할이유가없다. They need to discuss the matter in depth, particularly in consideration of its huge impact on smaller companies. 정치권은 특히 중소기업에 미치는 심대한 영향을 고려해 충분히 미 문제를 논의해야한다.