Where Minimum Standards Melt Down The Quiet Demolition Debate Over Labor Law 2020s

Where Minimum Standards Melt Down The Quiet Demolition Debate Over Labor Law 2020s

The current debate over the Labor Standards Law is not limited to partial modifications of the system, but has entered a stage where the very idea of minimum standards could be set back. The Labor Standards Law has protected workers in a weak position by stipulating conditions that the state must not lower, even if labor and management agree to them. This premise has been shaken under the words "deregulation" and "flexibilization. If the uniformity of legal restrictions is weakened and labor-management agreements are left to the discretion of the state in order to expand telework, side jobs, and discretionary work styles, it will be easier for differences in power relations to be directly linked to working conditions. In particular, the idea of expanding exceptions and adjustments runs the risk of quietly hollowing out minimum standards by making agreements less effective and making worker representation less tangible. Regulations on working hours also need to be restructured
around stricter upper limits and health assurance, rather than a series of exceptions. System reform should not be promoted solely by experts and a few interested parties, but a transparent process that visualizes the actual situation on the ground and its impact is indispensable. If minimum standards are lost in the name of flexibility, recovery will be difficult, and the very foundations of labor law are now being questioned.