On the inaugural day of the Yellow Envelope Law, October 10, 407 subcontract unions encompassing 81,600 members across 221 principal companies formally requested collective bargaining rights.
Implementation Details
These requests mark the first major application of the law, which enables subcontract workers’ unions to negotiate directly with parent firms. Leading companies targeted include Hanwha Ocean, Posco, Kupang CLS, Busan Gyeongdong Public Corporation, and Hwasung City, among five prominent entities.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor released updated figures on October 11, confirming the scale of these demands. Officials tallied 407 subcontract unions, along with affiliated branches and committees, engaging 221 principal operations.
Union Breakdown
Private sector unions dominate, with 357 affiliated to the Democratic Labor Union Confederation. Within the metal workers’ unions, 36 subcontract groups targeted 16 principals, including Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and GM Korea.
The Construction Industry Federation mobilized 90 unions against majors like Hyundai Construction and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Korean Confederation of Trade Unions subcontract unions numbered 42, focusing on nine companies such as Posco, Coupang Logistics Services (CLS), Seoul Metro, Korea Railroad Corporation, and Incheon International Airport Corporation.
Labor Commission Reviews
Applications for ‘bargaining unit separation’ reached 31 cases at the National Labor Relations Commission. The commission evaluates these based on inter-union conflicts, wage disparities, employment conditions, and other factors to determine bargaining structures.
