The aftermath of the corruption over hiring contract workers at Kia Motors' factory in Gwangju continues to grow. The leadership of the union there has all decided to resign, while the national metalworkers union and the umbrella union the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Minju Nochong) have both issued apologies and official expressions of regret.
As we said when the irregularities first came to light, it is absolutely critical that labor union officials maintain high standards of ethics, and so in this case they are deserve the criticism they are getting for involvement in corruption. It is only a matter of course that KCTU's executive staff has announced it has formed a task force to look into what happened. What transpired at Kia's Gwangju plant is enough to wake you up to how important ethical standing is for the labor movement.
However, there are things to be considered once that premise has been established. To begin with, promoting the incident as having been entirely a problem with the union does not help clear up the truth of what happened. The rage felt as you wonder how the union could behave like that and seeing the facts for what they are are different issues. If you take a cold look at the situation you will remember that it is impossible for a union to take the lead in hiring irregularities. In selecting who gets hired, it is the management that holds the final authority. Indeed, prosecutors in Gwangju investigating the case are reportedly in pursuit of leads suggesting that company employees were on the take. That is why there has to be a thorough investigation to clarify the truth.
Another problem is the way some elements are trying to portray what happened at a single union as if it means there is something wrong with the whole of the labor movement. KCTU has been exemplary in maintaining the purity of the movement, going so far as to expel a union that had neglected the interests of irregular workers. It is rationally incorrect to generalize this as if it is anything more than a problem with the union at Kia's plant in Gwangju.
An addition to a thorough inquiry, there also needs to be an overall review of whether corruption in the hiring process at private companies has been limited to that one location. When a union that needs to be demanding and assuring transparency in the hiring process actually gets involved in hiring irregularities it is deserving of penalty. That alone, however, is not enough. In addition to ascribing responsibility for what took place, is time there are measures enacted that will uproot the hiring irregularities that are an everyday occurrence at private companies.
The Hankyoreh, 25 January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Time To Improve 'Company Entrance' Procedure |
