The nation’s two major umbrella unions have hailed the collapse of efforts to extend the grace period of a workplace accident law for small businesses with less than 50 employees.

Federation of Korean Trade Unions(FKTU) spokesperson Lee Ji-hyun said in a statement that the federation is relieved that the proposal on extending the grace period was rejected, adding that the group will keep a close eye on the matter until the very end. 

Lee added that the FKTU will, by all means, judge the party, whether it be the ruling or opposition party, that defers the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act for such companies.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions also released a statement, saying it welcomes the collapse in attempts by the government and ruling party to revise for the worse the law on workplace accidents. 

The group then added that it will continue to exert efforts to block any similar attempts.