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October 16, 2009
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If the Labor Ministry carries out plans to allow more than one labor union into a single company and prevent companies from paying wages to those working full-time for unions, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions announced yesterday it will launch in a nationwide strike. If called, the strike could come in collaboration with the country’s other major umbrella labor union, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. “If our demands regarding multiple unions in a single workplace and pay for full-time unionists are not fully satisfied, we have no option but to start a general strike,” Jang Seok-chun, head of the FKTU, told reporters in a press conference held at the Korea Electric Power Corporation in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. “If we team up with the KCTU, we will stage a joint strike .?.?. Executive members of two labor unions will meet to discuss forming an alliance on Oct. 21.” The two sides are demanding the government leave it up to unions to decide how full-time labor union workers are paid. And they say that if the government wants to allow multiple labor unions in a company, it should also add multiple labor-management negotiation channels. The Lee Myung-bak administration and the FKTU have maintained amicable relations after the umbrella union’s 725,000 members agreed to cooperate with the government in labor policy-making decisions. But that atmosphere is crumbling. FKTU members yesterday unanimously agreed not to participate in joint policy coordination meetings with ruling Grand National Party officials. “Beside pulling out of cooperation with the government in labor policy decisions, we will also campaign against Grand National Party candidates until the country’s next presidential election,” Jang said. “There’s no country in the world that has a constitution banning paying wages to full-time workers in labor unions. We will finalize our direction later, but at this moment we have nothing to surrender to the government.” Lee Su-bong, KCTU spokesman, said there’s no major obstacle to forming an alliance and staging a strike with the FKTU because the “two sides share the same views on the disputed matters.” By Kim Mi-ju, Kim Ki-chan [mijukim@joongang.co.kr] |
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