‘음료 3잔’의 비극이 드러낸 노동 시장의 이중고: 임금 격차와 갑질의 현주소 > K-wave Trends

This Cheongju region franchise planning director showed the typical example of ‘avoiding the law’ that occurs in small businesses. The store owner in question used the ‘workplace division’ method of separating the coffee shop and dessert shop on paper, and disguised himself as a business with less than five full-time employees, thereby avoiding the obligation to pay additional allowances for overtime, nighttime, and holiday work. This expedient method resulted in over 3 million won in unpaid wages to 49 workers, and led to the creation of an illegal contract that passed the loss of sales onto the workers, ignoring the principle of prohibition of scheduled cancellation specified in Article 20 of the Labor Standards Act. This is a clear abuse of power that compromises the rights and interests of young workers, and suggests that foul play that exploits blind spots in labor laws is still rampant in the field.

The lack of basic labor management spread throughout the franchise industry is also at a serious level. As a result of the supervision, the majority of the businesses under investigation were not even complying with basic labor standards laws, such as failing to prepare employment contracts and wage statements and failing to comply with break times. Young workers who responded to the anonymous survey complained that they routinely experience unreasonable practices such as non-payment of night work allowances, being forced to work on holidays, and unilateral wage deductions. This goes beyond simply the individual business owner's deviation, and proves how weak the labor order is in the service and restaurant industries, which are the first gateway for young people to enter the labor market. The Labor Party Bureau is belatedly holding meetings with major affiliate headquarters and strengthening the comprehensive investigation system, but it is difficult to prevent repeated violations of the law without fundamental improvement in awareness.

In addition to the problem of abuse of power in the workplace, what is pointed out as a structural detonator of our economy is the deepening wage gap between large and small businesses. According to a recent report, a ‘wage inversion’ phenomenon is occurring where the total monthly wages of young workers at large corporations exceed the wages of middle-aged and middle-aged workers at small and medium-sized enterprises. In particular, the gap between large corporations and small and medium-sized companies is more stark in ‘special pay’, including performance bonuses and bonuses, than in basic pay, and this appears to become more severe the smaller the company. In a situation where a company's productivity gap is directly linked to an individual's wage gap, the structure in which even skilled workers in small and medium-sized companies receive lower wages than new employees in large companies is further accelerating the concentration of excellent talent in large companies.

Wage inequality based on employment type and gender is also a chronic challenge that our labor market must address. The wage level of regular female workers in small and medium-sized enterprises is less than half that of regular male workers in large corporations, and the treatment of non-regular workers in small and medium-sized enterprises is even worse, only one-third of that of regular male workers in large corporations. Even as the number of years of service increases, the average annual wage increase rate for workers at small and medium-sized enterprises remains at half that of large corporations, so the income gap between large and small businesses is bound to widen over time. This difference in treatment, especially between non-regular workers and female workers, solidifies the dual structure of the labor market and serves as a key factor in hindering social integration.

Meanwhile, in line with solving structural problems in the labor market, social discussions on extending the retirement age are also heating up. 88% of the people are in favor of extending the retirement age to 65, and there is a consensus that extending the retirement age is urgently needed to address poverty among the elderly and the gap in receiving and receiving national pensions. However, there are many voices concerned that extending the retirement age will lead to the encroachment of youth jobs, so elaborate design for coexistence between generations is essential, such as revamping the wage system and introducing job-based pay. Raising the retirement age is an irreversible trend that utilizes the skills of skilled workers and relieves economic anxiety in an aging society. However, if youth employment measures are not taken first in the process, there is always a risk that it will spark conflict between generations.