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대법원 90다6170

Severance Pay (퇴직금) Case퇴직금

Decided1991. 01. 15. Court대법원Worker won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

The Korean Coal Corporation (대한석탄공사) amended its severance pay (퇴직금) regulations in a manner disadvantageous to employees without obtaining consent from the labor union (노동조합), rendering the amendment invalid. The Supreme Court held that regularly paid allowances must be included in the calculation of average wages (평균임금), but welfare-related benefits may be excluded if agreed upon by labor and management.

Key takeaways
  • CaseThe Korean Coal Corporation (대한석탄공사) changed its severance pay (퇴직금) regulations to the disadvantage of employees without union consent and excluded certain allowances from the average wage (평균임금) calculation.
  • OutcomeThe court ruled that the disadvantageous change made without union consent was invalid, that regularly paid allowances must be included in average wage calculations, but that excluding welfare benefits by labor-management agreement was permissible as long as statutory minimums were met.
  • LessonEmployers must obtain labor union (노동조합) consent before making disadvantageous changes to severance pay (퇴직금) regulations, and must include regularly paid allowances when calculating average wages (평균임금).
Issues
  • Whether a change to severance pay (퇴직금) regulations that disadvantages employees is valid without the labor union's (노동조합) consent
  • Whether various regularly paid allowances should be included in the calculation of average wages (평균임금)
  • Whether an agreement between labor and management to exclude welfare-related benefits from wage calculations is valid
Key reasoning

Under Korean labor law, when an employer changes severance pay (퇴직금) regulations in a way that disadvantages employees, such changes require the consent of the labor union (노동조합); without this consent, the amendment is void. Allowances that are paid regularly and continuously must be included in the calculation of average wages (평균임금) because they form part of the worker's ordinary compensation. However, welfare-oriented benefits (복리후생적 급여), which are not core wage components, may be excluded from average wage calculations if labor and management agree to do so. Such exclusion is permissible as long as the resulting severance pay still meets or exceeds the statutory minimum standard. Applying these principles, the court found the unilateral disadvantageous amendment invalid, but upheld the exclusion of certain welfare benefits since the labor-management agreement did not violate statutory minimums.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

a. If the amended retirement allowance regulations of the Korea Coal Corporation (대한석탄공사) changed the calculation of the number of days for payment and the scope of the basic wage, which serve as the basis for calculating retirement allowances, in a manner disadvantageous to the workers as compared to the regulations before the amendment, and if the labor union did not consent to the portion of the regulations applicable to office employees (사원), then that portion of the regulations is void.

b. If the Korea Coal Corporation has paid physical fitness allowances, pit-entry allowances, production encouragement allowances, technical allowances, etc. to all employees on a monthly or annual, regular and continuous basis, in accordance with objective and fixed payment standards predetermined under the rules of employment (취업규칙) or the Corporation's own policies, such payments are included in the wages that form the basis for calculating average wages.

c. Where labor and management of the Korea Coal Corporation agreed to regard meal allowances, family allowances, and fuel subsidies as fringe benefits and to exclude them from wages, and where the retirement allowance amount calculated under the retirement allowance regulations based on such agreement, by adopting a progressive payment rate, exceeds the minimum standard guaranteed under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), it is legitimate to exclude such items from the calculation of average wages.

Full text (English, AI translation) 3,512 chars

[Plaintiffs, Appellants and Appellees] Plaintiff 1 and 5 others, successors to the lawsuit of the deceased Nonparty; Plaintiffs' Attorney Ko Yeong-gu

[Plaintiff, Appellee] Plaintiff 7

[Defendant, Appellee and Appellant] Korea Coal Corporation (대한석탄공사); Defendant's Attorney Park Chang-rae

[Original Judgment] Seoul High Court Decision 90Na13521, decided July 27, 1990

[Order]

All appeals are dismissed.
The costs of the appeal shall be borne by each of the appellants.

[Reasoning]

1. As to the grounds of appeal by the Defendant's attorney

The court below's determination is acceptable that the Defendant Corporation's Retirement Allowance Regulations as amended effective January 1, 1981 changed the calculation of the number of days of payment used as the basis for calculating retirement allowances and the scope of base wages in a manner less favorable to employees compared to the regulations before the amendment, and that, since the portion concerning regular staff (사원) was not consented to by the Defendant Corporation's labor union, this portion of the regulations is invalid. There is no illegality as argued in the grounds of appeal in this determination.

Furthermore, the court below's determination is also acceptable that, in light of the fact that the physical training allowance, mine-entry allowance, production encouragement allowance, and technical allowance paid by the Defendant Corporation were paid regularly and continuously on a monthly or yearly basis to all employees in accordance with objective and fixed payment standards predetermined under the Rules of Employment or the Defendant Corporation's own policy, these should be included in the wages subject to the calculation of average wages; and that the meal allowance, family allowance, and fuel subsidy were regarded as welfare-benefit type payments and, by agreement between labor and management, excluded from wages, and that the retirement allowance amount calculated under the Defendant Corporation's Retirement Allowance Regulations accordingly, having adopted a progressive payment rate, exceeds the minimum standard guaranteed under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), and therefore these should be excluded from the calculation of average wages. There is no illegality of misapprehension of facts or misapplication of law in this determination, and the precedent of this Court cited in the grounds of appeal is not applicable to this case and thus cannot be adopted.

The argument is without merit in its entirety.

2. As to the grounds of appeal by the attorney for Plaintiff 1, Plaintiff 2, Plaintiff 3, and Plaintiff 4, successors to the lawsuit of the deceased Nonparty

It is true, as shown by the calculation formula, that the court below erred in calculating the number of days of payment of the retirement allowance for the deceased Nonparty by mistakenly computing the said deceased's period of continuous service up to March 31, 1981 as 12 years and 8 months, when it was in fact 13 years and 8 months. However, such a calculation error falls under a case of an obvious miscalculation, and correction thereof must be sought through the procedure for correction of judgment (판결경정); therefore, this cannot be made a ground of appeal. This argument is likewise without merit.

3. Accordingly, all Justices participating in the decision are unanimous in dismissing all of these appeals, and it is so ordered as stated in the Order.

Justice Kim Ju-han (Presiding Justice), Lee Hoi-chang, Bae Seok, Kim Sang-won

【판결요지】

가. 대한석탄공사의 개정 퇴직금규정이 개정 전의 규정보다도 퇴직금 산정의 기준이 되는 지급일수의 계산 및 기초임금의 범위에 있어서 근로자들에게 불리하게 변경되었고 이 가운데 사원에 대한 부분에 대하여는 노동조합의 동의가 없었다면 이 부분 규정은 무효이다.

나. 대한석탄공사가 체력단련비, 입갱수당, 생산독려수당, 기술수당 등을 전직원을 대상으로 하여 취업규칙 또는 공사 자체의 방침 등에 따라 미리 정한 객관적이고도 일정한 지급기준에 따라 매월 또는 매년 정기적, 계속적으로 지급하여 왔다면 이는 평균임금 산정 대상인 임금에 포함된다.

다. 대한석탄공사의 노사간에 식대보조비, 가족수당, 연료보조비를 복리후생적인 급여로 보아 이를 임금에서 제외하기로 합의하였고, 이에 따른 퇴직금규정에 의하여 산출된 퇴직금액이 누진적인 지급율을 채택한 결과 근로기준법에서 보장하는 하한선을 상회하는 경우 이를 평균임금의 산정에서 제외한 것은 정당하다.

【참조조문】

가.다.근로기준법 제28조 / 가. 제95조 / 나.다. 제19조 제1항 / 다. 제20조

【참조판례】

가.나. 대법원 1990.12.7. 선고 90다카1967 판결(공1991,432) / 나.다. 대법원 1987.2.24. 선고 84다카1409 판결(공1987,506), 1990.11.27. 선고 90다카23868 판결(공1991,218)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,188자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 상고인 겸 피상고인】 망 소외인의 소송수계인 원고 1 외 5인 원고들 소송대리인 변호사 고영구

【원고, 피상고인】 원고 7

【피고, 피상고인 겸 상고인】 대한석탄공사 소송대리인 변호사 박창래

【원 판 결】 서울고등법원 1990.7.27. 선고 90나13521 판결

【주 문】

상고를 모두 기각한다.

상고소송비용은 상고인들의 각자 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 1. 피고 대리인의 상고이유에 대하여

원심이, 피고 공사의 1981.1.1.자 개정 퇴직금규정이 개정 전의 규정보다도 퇴직금 산정의 기준이 되는 지급일수의 계산 및 기초임금의 범위에 있어서 근로자들에게 불리하게 변경되었고 이 가운데 사원에 대한 부분에 대하여는 피고 공사 노동조합의 동의가 없었으므로 이 부분 규정은 무효라고 판단한 것은 옳다고 수긍이 되고 여기에 소론과 같은 위법이 없으며, 또한 원심이 피고 공사가 지급한 체력단련비, 입갱수당, 생산독려수당, 기술수당 등을 전직원을 대상으로 하여 취업규칙 또는 피고 공사 자체의 방침 등에 따라 미리 정한 객관적이고도 일정한 지급기준에 따라 매월 또는 매년 정기적, 계속적으로 지급해 온 점에 비추어 이를 평균임금 산정 대상인 임금에 포함시키고, 식대보조대, 가족수당, 연료보조비는 복리후생적인 급여로 보아 이를 임금에서 제외하기로 노사간에 합의하였고 이에 따른 피고 공사의 퇴직금규정에 의하여 산출된 퇴직금액이 누진적인 지급율을 채택한 결과 근로기준법에서 보장하는 하한선을 상회하므로 이를 평균임금의 산정에서 제외한다고 판단한 것도 수긍이 되고 여기에 사실오인이나 법리오해의 위법이 없으며 소론이 지적하는 당원의 판례는 이 사건에 적절치 못하여 채용될 수 없는 것이다.

논지는 모두 이유 없다.

2. 망 소외인의 소송수계인 원고 1, 원고 2, 원고 3, 원고 4 대리인의 상고이유에 대하여 원심이 망 소외인의 퇴직금지급일수 산정에 있어서 위 망인의 1981.3.31.까지의 근속기간이 13년 8월임에도 이를 12년 8월로 잘못계산하였음은 그 산출수식에 비추어 틀림이 없으나 이와 같은 계산의 착오는 위산이 명백한 경우에 해당되어 판결경정의 절차를 밟아 그 시정을 구하여야 하는 것이므로 이를 상고이유로 삼을 수는 없는 것이다. 논지 역시 이유 없다.

3. 그러므로 이 상고를 모두 기각하기로 관여 법관의 의견이 일치되어 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 김주한(재판장) 이회창 배석 김상원

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