[Editorial] 'Global Standards' for Korea's Labor Policy

The International Labor Organisation (ILO) has issued a strong statement against the Korean government. It covers a wide range of issues, from limits on public servants' unions to criticism for a prison term for a construction union official. Put simply, the ILO is saying Korea isn't following international labor standards. Our government claims the labor movement is not up to international standards, but in fact what is not up to standard is the government's labor policy.

The problems noted by the ILO include prohibiting civil servants' unions from striking and regulating the qualifications for membership, prohibiting pay for union employees, essential services, and the arrest of unionists based on things like "obstruction of business." It even called on the government to issue compensation for those implicated in a case where workers spending all their time working for their union and demanded wages for doing so were arrested and accused of issuing threats.

The government's response is that it is too much to take it to task for something a court decided. Perhaps many members of the public think the same. But it changes if you know about international circumstances. It is a matter of common sense in the international community that you do not arrest someone for union activities unless he has engaged in violence, and indeed, in the advanced countries of the world that does not happen. Knowing that, our government tries to avoid arresting people for violating labor laws, and instead usually applies the law on "obstruction of business," which is part of criminal law. By international standards, that's nonsense.

These are clearly restrictions on labor rights. The regulations prohibiting pay for people working for unions is where you really see the government's hypocrisy. It claims that there is no country in the world where union workers are paid by companies, but its statement notes that prohibiting that by law instead of leaving it for unions and employers to figure out is the problem. The government needs to respect the ILO's recommendations and bring its labor policy in line with global standards.

The Hankyoreh, 31 March 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]