Civil servants' unions are legal for the first time since the military coup 45 years ago. At Tuesday's cabinet meeting the government approved of ordinances for the civil servant union law that take effect January 28. You would expect them to be happy about being legally recognized as laborers, but in fact the direct opposite is true. The Korean Government Employees' Union and the Federation of Government Employees say they are going to remain unions outside the law and will fight for their rights.
The reaction of these two groups was not unexpected. The new law is full of restrictions on civil servants' unions, making it hard for them to engage in normal union activities. They do not have the right to collective action such a strikes, and there are limits on what can be the subject of collective bargaining. Policymaking issues and budgetary matters cannot be part of collective bargaining, even when they relate to the status of and conditions for civil servants. There are also strict limits on what kind of civil servant may join, so if you exclude teachers, half of the country's total of 560,000 civil servants may join. That is why the law is criticized for being only half of what it should be, and that is why it is still too early to expect Korea to be able to wash itself of its reputation as a country that suppresses civil servants' unions.
Another problem is the possibility of friction between the government and the unions. The Korean Government Employees' Union is getting ready to joint the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Government Employees is pursuing the formation of a third umbrella union organization, so their struggle against the government looks like it is about to begin. Subsequently the issue of civil servants' unions can be expected to be a major labor issue this year.
The government's labor policy makes you doubt its ability to adapt to change. The major labor issues over the last few years have all been in the public sector, such as the privatization of the rail system and the national power company, the "education information system," and teacher appraisal. Public sector unions are becoming more important and there will be limits to the effectiveness of policy that concentrates on suppressing them. It is time for the government to have a change in thinking.
The Hankyoreh, 25 January 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
