The labor movement is uneasy these days. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU, Han'guk Nochong) and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Minju Nochong) are raising the intensity of their joint campaign, demanding the resignation of the labor minister and a complete change in the tone of labor policy. KFTU is scheduled to commence on a general strike on July 7 and KCTU had decided to hold a strike rally on July 8. Both national umbrella unions are going to hold a national workers' assembly July 20. Small-scale unions are joining in. the National Medical Workers' Union and the Metalworkers' Union go on strike this week, and the unions at Korean Air and Asiana airlines are going on a limited, legal "warning strike." Relations between labor and the government and between labor and business is extremely poor, and the social effects of that are that big hospitals and airlines are striking at the same time.
FKTU is taking a stronger stance against the government than ever before, and that is a new variable. It has less experience with strikes than FKTU, and yet it is angrier than usual because of the death of Kim Tae Hwan, its man in charge for the Chungju area.
The primary responsibility for the situation becoming so bad lies with the government. It has insisted on pushing the passing of the new legislation on irregular workers, a bill that has been strongly opposed by civil society. Last year the Minimum Wage Review Commission decided the new minimum wage while commission members from the labor movement were boycotting the discussion. For labor there must be an overwhelming of distrust, believing that instead of the government mediating on the issues it is siding with business. It would have to be serious to be calling for the Labor Minster Kim Dae Hwan's resignation.
Even if only now the government needs to change its attitude. It is wrong if perhaps it thought that because of scandals in the labor movement labor has less room to maneuver with and so the government can push it around a little more. Experience confirms that the first factor causing labor to take a hard-line approach is a hard-line response from the government.
The Hankyoreh, 4 July 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Gov't Must Show Desire to Resolve Labor Issues |
