By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the nation's two largest umbrella labor groups, said its members will go on an indefinite strike today to call for the renegotiation of the Seoul-Washington beef import deal.
The militant union said more than 600,000 members at 230 companies will stage a two-hour walkout Wednesday at workplaces nationwide. After the walkout, they will join protests opposing the resumption of beef imports. It said the strike will continue throughout July and may extend beyond August depending on the government's response.
Union leader Lee Sok-haeng said the action will eventually affect production at workplaces. About 44,000 workers of Hyundai Motor and other carmakers, including Kia, GM Daewoo, Ssangyong, will stage a two-day partial strike from today. The walkout comes after 76 percent of the Korean Metal Workers' Union voted for the industrial action Sunday. They will also refuse to work overtime.
``Unless the government accepts our demand, we will step up our struggle, including the stoppage of production at factories,'' KCTU's Lee said at a press conference in Seoul.
Lee said its union members will also launch a campaign to boycott distributors marketing American beef.
With apparently dwindling participation of ordinary citizens, the KCTU seems to be supporting the civic groups that have spearheaded the protests.
The government has called the strike illegal and said it will no longer tolerate ``unlawful'' demonstrations.
``The strike is illegal,'' Labor Minister Lee Young-hee said, adding, ``the move will bring about damage to KCTU members. The government will seek criminal and civil legal action against law-breaking strikers''
The Korea Employers Federation criticized the union for mobilizing its members for a political strike.
``They stop working for something that is irrelevant to their working conditions, which is illegal,'' the federation said in a statement. ``The KCTU seems to think its participation will give it the upper hand in forthcoming wage negotiations with employers. We will sternly deal with it and take legal action against them if necessary.''
The KCTU head Lee denied the federation's allegation, saying the action ``was to protect the public's health and quarantine sovereignty.''