Business representatives have boycotted tripartite negotiations on next year’s minimum wage. 

The Minimum Wage Commission on Wednesday held a general meeting at the government complex in Sejong City, but only five representatives of workers and nine representing public interest attended the meeting. All of the nine representatives of employers refused to attend. 

During the previous general meeting on Tuesday, the business representatives threatened to boycott an additional meeting in protest of the commission’s vote in the day against the employers’ proposal to vary minimum pay for different business sectors. 

Business circles have been calling for separate, lower minimum wages for the restaurant and accommodation industries, as well as for other small merchants.

Earlier, the tripartite negotiations on minimum wage had been suspended due to the boycott from the labor side in protest of a parliamentary passage of a revision bill on the minimum wage.