[Editorial] The Semiconductor Act’s 52-Hour Workweek Exception Is Essential for Global Competitiveness
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Writer
CFE
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The issue of exempting certain semiconductor industry workers from the 52-hour weekly limit is now being discussed in earnest.
The extension of working hours beyond 52 hours, currently under discussion in the amendment to the Special Semiconductor Act, is an essential measure to strengthen the international competitiveness of Korea’s semiconductor industry.
In the global market, semiconductors are both the core of technological innovation and a strategic resource that determines each country’s economic sovereignty.
Under these circumstances, flexible production responses are essential if domestic semiconductor firms are to survive in fierce global competition.
Given the nature of semiconductor manufacturing processes, the industry requires continuous operation and must be able to respond quickly to unexpected variables.
However, the current 52-hour workweek system shows clear limitations in responding swiftly to such urgent situations.
In particular, flexible management of working hours is necessary to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions, such as volatility in global supply chains and shorter new product launch cycles.
Extending working hours beyond 52 hours would give companies the ability to respond to crises, while also providing workers with tangible benefits through additional compensation for extended overtime work.
In conclusion, extending working hours beyond 52 hours under the Special Semiconductor Act will provide a foundation for Korea’s semiconductor industry to maintain its competitiveness amid global competition and go on to lead the field.
A flexible labor policy that takes into account the unique characteristics of the industry must be introduced immediately.
The most urgent task at this moment is to create conditions in which businesses, no longer bound hand and foot, can work to their full capacity.
The government and the National Assembly must enable businesses to freely build their competitiveness through swift legislation and institutional reform.
2025. 2. 3.
Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)
Original title: [논평] 반도체법 '주 52시간제 예외' 국제 경쟁력 강화를 위한 필수적 선택
Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)
Date: 2025-02-03
Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=comment&pn=2&idx=27298