Korea SMEs and Startups Agency earns labor-relations certification after 30 years without disputes

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency has earned an "Excellent Labor-Management Relations" certification in recognition of its 30-year record of concluding wage and collective bargaining agreements without a single labor dispute.

The agency announced Monday that it received the certification from the Korea Management Certification Institute and held a certificate presentation ceremony at its Mokdong office in Seoul on Friday.

The "Excellent Labor-Management Relations" certification is awarded by the Korea Management Certification Institute based on a comprehensive assessment of labor-management leadership, cooperation, trust, communication, participation and overall labor relations outcomes.

The agency completed the certification process — which began in August — through employee surveys, interviews with labor and management representatives, and on-site reviews. A key factor in the evaluation was its 30-year record of reaching wage and collective agreements without disputes, even under a dual-union structure divided between general and public-service employees.

This is not the first time the agency has received external recognition for its labor-management cooperation. It was named an "Excellent Labor-Management Culture Company" by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in 2012. The latest certification marks the agency's first such external recognition in 14 years.

The evaluation also took into account the agency's labor-management council operations and joint efforts to improve workplace policies. The agency runs a labor-management council with direct participation from its chief executive and has pursued improvements to working arrangements through sector-specific consultative bodies. Programs supporting junior employees in adapting to the organization, along with enhanced welfare benefits through enrollment in the Korea Scientists and Engineers Mutual-Aid Association, were also cited as notable examples.

In 2023, the agency introduced a worker board director system to expand employee participation in management. It has also continued gathering feedback from headquarters and regional staff through a "visiting Korea SMEs and Startups Agency" program, in which the chief executive and senior officials travel directly to field locations.

"This certification is meaningful because it recognizes the results we have built through mutual respect, trust, dialogue and cooperation between labor and management," agency President Kang Seok-jin said. "We will continue to respect the labor union as a partner in the agency's development and work to improve the working environment in ways that employees can genuinely feel."