The Ministry of Employment and Labor has stated that if working conditions change during corporate semiconductor investments in the Honam region, they could become subject to collective bargaining, a position expected to spark controversy. Concerns are being raised that this may only strengthen the negotiating leverage of unions, at a time when Samsung Electronics' supra-enterprise union is engaging in "investment obstruction" by seeking to make the Honam investment plan an agenda item for next year's wage and collective agreement negotiations. The ministry stated that "management decisions such as corporate investment and factory expansion are difficult to view as having a substantial impact on working conditions, so they are not included as subjects of labor disputes." However, it added a caveat that "if the implementation process of a business management decision brings about substantial changes to working conditions, matters concerning those working conditions may become subject to bargaining."
At first glance, this position by the ministry seems to mean that the Honam investment is not subject to collective bargaining, but a closer look leaves room for it to be interpreted as acknowledging that it is subject to labor disputes. In reality, for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to simultaneously build four fabs (semiconductor production plants) in Gwangju, changes in work patterns and job reassignments are unavoidable. Moreover, with the two companies also deciding to move up considerably the operational timelines for the semiconductor clusters they are building in Pyeongtaek and Yongin, efficient operation of production sites has become even more urgent. Should the union raise objections using changes in work patterns as a pretext, the "semiconductor speed race" would be difficult to expect. The possibility of conflicts between prime contractors and subcontractors during the fab construction process cannot be ruled out either, as seen with the plant construction union that threatened a general strike in August.
The three ambitious mega projects, on which the nation's fortunes hinge, must not lose direction by being shackled by the "Yellow Envelope Law." President Lee Jae-myung, who defined the three mega projects as "an all-out competition on which the nation's fortunes ride," pledged a speed race, saying, "We will do the maximum we can do." It is a desperate message that "if you look away, you fall behind," at a time when major nations are devoting all their efforts to large-scale investment and deregulation to gain hegemony in strategic industries such as semiconductors and data centers. For future advanced industries, cutting-edge technology and a speed race are the essence of survival. The swift passage of the mega special zone law—which includes infrastructure development such as water and power, exceptions to the 52-hour workweek, and tax support—is also important, but even more urgent is the revision of the Yellow Envelope Law, which fails entirely to reflect global trends and the realities of production sites.
