경험칙상 도시일용노동의 가동연한 (Maximum Working Age of Daily Rate Urban Workers under the Empirical Rule)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 사법발전재단
· 수록지 정보 : 사법 / 1권 / 49호 / 525 ~ 590페이지
· 저자명 : 이양희

초록

일반육체노동을 하는 사람 또는 육체노동을 주로 생계활동으로 하는 사람의 경험칙상 가동연한에 관하여, 대법원은 1989. 12. 26. 선고한 88다카16867호 전원합의체 판결에서 만 55세라고 본 기존 견해를 변경한 이후, 현재에 이르기까지 만 60세로 보아야 한다는 견해를 유지하여 왔다. 그런데 하급심에서는 이러한 선례가 여전히 유효함을 전제로 선례에 따라 가동연한을 인정하거나 선례에서 인정한 경험칙의 기초가 되었던 제반 사정들이 변하였음을 이유로 선례와 달리 가동연한을 인정하는 등 하급심별로 엇갈리는 판단이 이루어지면서 혼선이 빚어지고 있었다. 이에 대법원은 이번 전원합의체 판결을 통해 만 60세로 보아야 한다는 견해는 더 이상 유지하기 어렵고 이제는 특별한 사정이 없는 한 만 60세를 넘어 만 65세까지도 가동할 수 있다고 보는 것이 경험칙에 합당하다고 선언함으로써, 위와 같은 논란을 종식시켰다. 우리나라의 사회적·경제적 구조와 생활여건이 급속하게 향상·발전하고 법제도가 정비·개선됨에 따라 1989. 12. 26. 전원합의체 판결 선고 당시 경험칙의 기초가 되었던 제반 사정들이 현저히 변하였기 때문이다. 즉, 국민 평균여명이 남자 67.0세, 여자 75.3세에서 2015년에는 남자 79.0세, 여자 85.2세로, 2017년에는 남자 79.7세, 여자 85.7세로 늘었다. 1인당 국내총생산(GDP)은 6,516$에서 2015년 27,000$를 넘어 2018년에는 30,000$에 이르는 등 경제 규모가 4배 이상 커졌다. 법정 정년이 만 60세 또는 만 60세 이상으로 연장되었고, 실질 은퇴연령은 이보다 훨씬 높게 2011년부터 2016년까지 남성 72.0세, 여성 72.2세로 조사되었는데, 이는 경제협력개발기구(OECD) 회원국 중 가장 높은 수치이다. 2013. 6. 4. 개정된 고용보험법에서는 65세 이후에 새롭게 고용되거나 자영업을 개시한 자만을 적용대상에서 제외하고 있고, 국민연금법 등도 연금수급개시연령을 점차 연장하는 내용으로 개정되어 2033년 이후부터 65세이다. 나아가 각종 사회보장 법령에서 국가가 적극적으로 생계를 보장하여야 하는 고령자 내지 노인을 65세 이상으로 정하고 있다.

영어초록

In Supreme Court en banc Decision 88Daka16867 Decided December 26, 1989, the Supreme Court discarded its previous position that deemed the maximum working age of a person engaging in ordinary physical labor or a person earning a living mainly through performing physical labor as 55 years in light of the empirical rule. Henceforth, the Court has maintained the view that the maximum working age of physical labor should be deemed as 60 years according to the empirical rule.
However, lower courts have still been divided with respect to determining the maximum working age, giving conflicting judgments relating thereto. That is, lower court judges either recognized the maximum working age as what had been recognized in the judicial precedents on the grounds that they remain valid to this day or acknowledged otherwise on the grounds that the circumstances serving as the basis of empirical rule that had been previously recognized by judicial precedents have changed.
Against such backdrop, the Supreme Court brought an end to this controversy through a recent judgment in the subject case. According to the Court, the foregoing view of deeming the maximum working age as 60 years could no longer be upheld and, instead, barring special circumstances, regarding the maximum working age as above 60 years and, even up to 65 years, would accord with the empirical rule. The reason for the Supreme Court overruling its previous stance is attributable to the dramatic change of the circumstances, which functioned as the underlying basis of the empirical rule at the time Supreme Court en banc Decision 88Daka16867, supra, was rendered, upon the rapid improvement and development of Korea’s socioeconomic structure and living environment, as well as the overhauling and improvement of our legal system.
To be more specific, the average remaining life expectancy of Koreans by gender was 67.0 years for men and 75.3 years for women in 1989 (when Supreme Court en banc Decision 88Daka16867 was delivered) but has increased to 79.0 years and 85.2 years in 2015, and again rose to 79.7 years and 85.7 years in 2017, respectively. The size of Korea’s economy more than quadrupled, and this is evidenced by the increase of GDP per capita, which stood at USD 6,516 in 1989 but then surpassed USD 27,000 in 2015 to reach USD 3,000 in 2018. Furthermore, the statutory retirement age was extended to 60 years and above, and the actual retirement age was reported to be higher than the official retirement age. According to data released by the OECD, the average actual retirement age from 2011 to 2016 was 72.0 years for men and 72.2 years for women in Korea, which was the highest among OECD member nations.
Relevant domestic statutes were also amended. For instance, those under the age of 65 who were either employed or self-employed became eligible to apply for an employment insurance benefit, excluding those who were either newly employed or self-employed at age 65 or above, pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act that was amended on June 4, 2013. The National Pension Act was revised to gradually extend the normal pension age (starting age for receiving pension) to 65 years starting from 2033. Moreover, under various social security-related laws, the age of seniors and/or the elderly whom the State is required to guarantee their livelihood has been set at 65 years and above.

참고자료

· 없음