Cabinet passes motion requesting parliament to review 'yellow envelope bill'

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, second from left, during a Cabinet meeting on Friday [YONHAP]

The Cabinet on Friday passed a motion requesting parliamentary reconsideration of four contentious bills unilaterally passed by opposition parties last month, including a pro-labor law and broadcasting law revisions.

President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to endorse the motion to veto the bills, including the "yellow envelope law" aimed at limiting companies from making claims for damages against legitimate labor union disputes.

The labor bill, passed through the opposition Democratic Party-controlled National Assembly last month, has faced opposition from business lobbies and the ruling People Power Party.

Critics said the law would make it difficult for employers to file complaints against illegal strikes and exempt laborers from liability for participating in them.

"The bill would make it challenging for companies to seek corresponding responsibility for damages caused by illegal strikes, resulting in the promotion of illegal strikes," Prime Minister Han said in Friday's Cabinet meeting.

The controversial bill dates back to 2009, when unionized workers of the carmaker SsangYong Motor, now KG Mobility, staged a high-profile strike to oppose a layoff.

The Supreme Court in 2014 ruled the strike was illegal and ordered the workers who participated to pay 4.7 billion won ($3.6 million) to compensate the company and the government.

In response, those who opposed the ruling, including activists, sent in yellow envelopes, each containing 47,000 won, to support the SsangYong workers. This has raised the need to amend the trade union law in favor of striking workers, leading to the revision led by the opposition bloc.

The three other bills are revisions to broadcasting laws aimed at reducing the government's control over public broadcasters.

Han said such revisions can endanger the fairness of public broadcasting.

Yoon previously rejected two opposition-led bills — a nursing act aimed at stipulating the roles and responsibilities of nurses and a revision to the Grain Management Act, which would have required the government to purchase surplus rice.

BY SEO JI-EUN, YONHAP [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]