The country’s business community has expressed strong regret over the passage of the contentious pro-labor “yellow envelope” bill, which the ruling Democratic Party pushed through the National Assembly on Sunday.

In a joint statement issued Sunday, six business groups, including the Korea Enterprises Federation and the Korea Federation of SMEs, warned the bill will spark legal battles between labor and management because of ambiguities in the definition of an employer and the scope of what a labor dispute can cover.

The groups called for supplementary legislation to clarify those points to minimize the fallout at industrial workplaces, and for the government to closely communicate with businesses during the grace period.

In a press release Monday, the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, or AMCHAM, called on the government, businesses and the labor community to maintain constant, transparent dialogue to enable sound labor relations and a stable environment for investment.

AMCHAM said it looked forward to substantial discussions through a task force it has agreed to launch with Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon.

The bill, which passed a plenary session Sunday amid a boycott of the vote by the main opposition People Power Party, aims to strengthen corporate responsibility toward contract workers and prevent companies from winning large damage awards for losses incurred in legitimate labor disputes.