A Comparative Study on the Factors and Process of the Changes in the Labor Policy -Analysis on the Revisions in the Labor Relations Law-

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the reason and process of labor policy changes in Korea. For this purpose, I analyzed three cases which were made respectively in 1980, 1987, and 1997. An analytical tool for policy change process is basically modified from the view point of policy making process theory, adaptable to the Korean situation. In the authoritative government period, political factors were most influential to changes in the labor policy. But through the process of democratization, socio-economic factors are more influential on the change of labor-management relations acts than that of others. Besides, the changes in the policy making process and the policy contents are mainly affected by the power relations among labor-management-government. Also, the government took the initiative in the process of labor policy making. Accordingly, political factors were most influential on the agenda-setting phase of labor policy changes. But because of the democratization of society and the growth of the private sector, the role of government is increasingly restricted. As a result, the three participants of the labor policy change are now interacting strategically. Therefore, Policy change is mainly determined by the power balance among labor-management-government relations. Korean labor-management relations acts are generally outlined by the macro-factors such as political, economic and social factors. The revision of labor-management relations acts are less affected by the characteristics of the policy making system. The revision of individual labor-management relations acts are more affected by the economic factors, while that of the collective labor-management relations acts are more affected by political factors.