Small performance, resolution calling for minimum wage freeze
Application by industry and demand for government improvement measures
“If the minimum wage rises further, we have no choice but to reduce employment by introducing serving robots and cooking robots.”
Small business owners took to the streets ahead of next year’s minimum wage decision. This is to demand a freeze on the minimum wage and the application of classification by industry. In particular, lodging, convenience stores, and restaurant owners expressed the reality of small business owners and urged the government to come up with improvement measures.
On the 21st, the Korea Federation of Small Businesses held a resolution meeting in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul. Despite the bad weather, the resolution meeting was joined by members of 17 metropolitan branches and members of industrial organizations across the country.
At the meeting, small business owners urged the National Assembly to freeze the minimum wage and apply it separately by industry, and shouted to guarantee the right of small business owners to survive on the verge of closure.
Oh Se-hee, chairman of the small performance, said, “The heavy minimum wage will cause a vicious cycle in which small business owners who are barely holding out due to triple highs and complex crises will be bogged down in the red and workers will lose their jobs.”
He then raised his voice, saying, “Please actively reflect the reality of small business owners in the process of deliberating the minimum wage and carry out the freezing of the minimum wage and the application of classification by industry.”
At the resolution meeting, lodging, convenience stores, restaurants, and hairdressers took the podium to talk about the reality faced by small business owners and demand the government to come up with improvement measures.
Chung Kyung-jae, chairman of the Korea Accommodation Business Association, said, “If you reduce the number of employees by shooting minus 2 million won a month, how can you raise your salary further?” and added, “Can’t you see any small business owners who are still paying their salaries by debt?” Next year, I hope you will apply the accommodation industry separately so that you can breathe a little,” he appealed.
Kim Mi-yeon, CEO of CU convenience store, pointed out, “Convenience store owners die of overwork while keeping the store 24/7,” adding, “The current single minimum wage structure makes it impossible to hire labor demand to work at a place where they can work at low labor intensity.”
“If the minimum wage rises further, we have no choice but to further reduce employment by introducing serving robots or cooking robots as a way to maintain the store,” said Lee Jong-beom, CEO of Pungjeon Jjukumi.
Meanwhile, the small performance on this day expressed a strong will by performing performances such as breaking down the “wall of minimum wage increase” that hinders the survival of small business owners with a “freezing hammer.”
