근로자, 포용적 접근

Abstract

근로자 논의에서는 두 가지를 구별해야 한다. 하나는 오분류의 재분류이고, 다른 하나는 대상이나 범위의 확대이다. 전자를 ‘근로자 찾기’라고 한다면, 후자는 ‘근로자 늘리기’라고 할 수 있겠다. 지난 20년 이상, 근로자 논의는 이른바 특고 논쟁에서 알 수 있듯이 근로자 찾기가 중심이었지만, 입법적 또는 해석론적 성과는 크지 않았다. 근로자 오분류를 시정하기 위한 판례의 변화도 살펴보지만, 이 글의 주된 관심은 해석론과 입법론의 포용적 접근을 통한 근로자 늘리기에 있다. 주된 대상은 노무제공의 실질에서 근로자와 비슷한 자영업자 즉 종속적 자영업자를 주로 염두에 두었다. 특고의 경우, 상당수는 오분류에 해당할 것으로 그리고 나머지 대다수는 종속적(또는 고용형) 자영업자에 속할 것으로 생각한다. Employee issues shall start with distinguishing two categories. One is the reclassification issue or misclassification one. Here the misclassification means the difference between substance and form of the work contract, where making a contractor as self-employed but substantially hiring and using as an employee. The reclassification is to compel the self-employed contract to employment contract in right way of law, that is to coerce the contract form be consistent with the substance of working relationship by the law. The other is the enlargement of the subject and the range in labor law, or the enlargement of the concept of employee in order to expand coverage of labor law. In other words, it is the inclusion of some self-employed into the scope of employee under labor legislations. Over the past twenty years, employee issues have been focused on the misclassification issue. Domestically, special forms of workers similar to wage employees(‘tukgo’) have been the main labour issue. Many academic and practical proposals have been put forth in order to cover dependent self-employed under labor law. Meaningful progress has been made in case law, but little in the field of legislation. It is the same situation inside or outside of the country that the improvements concerning this issue were unsatisfactory as considered the time and quantity of the discussion. This article relatively highlights on the enlargement of the employee concept through inclusive approach. This is largely based on the thoughts that the protection of the labour law shall contribute to the national economy and alleviation of the social inequality, by expanding the labour law to the vulnerable self-employed as well. The inclusive approach mainly concentrates on ‘self-employed similarly working as wage employee’. To cover those dependent self-employed under the labour law, we need some improvement in both the legislation and the construction of case law.