[Editorial] Tripartite Commission Must Discuss Irregular Worker Issue

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has decided to return to tripartite discussions between labor, management and government. It was a decision made with much difficulty, with internal problems leading to agreement for a “social negotiating plan” breaking down during three union representative meetings. It’s glad news that the KCTU has decided to make active use of social negotiations in order to achieve social objectives like reducing the gaps between the rich and poor.

It’s goes without saying that for the economy to properly recover, the deepening economic and social polarization needs to be reduced. In order to do this, jobs need to be created and the common man’s economy activated. In particular, the issue of irregular workers can be seen as a central matter among these social and economic agendas. The ruling party has decided to deal with a bill on irregular workers in the National Assembly in April, despite strong opposition from labor unions. For the KCTU to declare its return to the tripartite discussion in order to discuss this issue seems somewhat belated.

The KCTU must realize that with the weakness of its leadership being revealed over the course of three failures to agree to a position, there are doubts as to whether a social contract would be effective even if it was worked out, and hence it will have to work hard to secure its leadership internally. There is distressing criticism that the labor movement of today, led by big corporate unions, is not able to properly protect society’s underdogs and allow them to earn their social rights. Unions must reduce this mistrust by substantively changing through embracing into their organization irregular members.

The ball has now passed into the court of the politicians. The KCTU leadership has overridden internal objections and responsibly returned to the dialogue table. The government and businesses mustn’t avoid dialogue by claiming that the bill has already gone to the National Assembly. Such an attitude would result on turning ones back on a rational labor movement and not be of help to social stability. The National Assembly must also be ready to broadly collect the opinions of those with an interest in the matter and show an active posture in the tripartite discussions of the irregular worker issue.

The Hankyoreh, 19 March 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (MRT)]