S. Korean union protests change in law

Thousands of people rallied Saturday to protest a South Korean plan to double the time irregular employees must work before they must be made full-time workers.

Under current law, employers are required to offer full-time employment to part-time and temporary workers after two years on the payroll. The proposed change would increase the period to four years.

About 33,000 demonstrators turned out for the rally in a Seoul park, the Yonhap news agency reported. About 2,500 riot police were deployed, but there were no reports of violence.

The government and employers are forcing laborers to stand on the edge of a cliff, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which organized the rally, said in a statement.

About 5.5 million South Koreans have part-time or temporary jobs, the government reports.