By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Three civil servant unions with a combined number of 115,000 members have overwhelmingly voted to join the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the more progressive of two national umbrella groups.

Concluding a two-day vote, leaders of the three unions said in a press conference Tuesday night that the majority of their members approved the proposal to join the KCTU, helping it beat its rival Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) in terms of membership. FKTU is known to be friendlier to the government.

``We will try and uproot corruption in officialdom,'' the three unions said in a joint statement. ``Today's result is a new chapter in our history that will be remembered as a day of victory for workers' rights.''

The vote came after a strong warning from the government to refrain from allying with the KCTU, and is expected to strengthen the umbrella group's footing ― weakened after unions at big firms including KT and troubled carmaker Ssangyong Motor decided to disaffiliate from the group.

The three public servants' unions are the Korean Government Employees Union, the Korean Democracy Government Employees Union and the Court Government Employees Union.

More than 70 percent of the members participated in the vote, their leaders said, with yes votes reaching 65 percent to 72 percent among the three.

The public servant's unions will be the third largest grouping among individual unions under the wing of the umbrella group. The steel workers' union is the largest with 147,000 members, followed by the public sector's union with 142,000.

The government repeated its warning to unionized civil servants, reminding them that public workers are not allowed to participate in collective action.

``It is intolerable. It is quite apparent that labor groups will lead them into political action, though they are subject to political neutrality,'' Lim Tae-hee, labor minister-designate, said at the National Assembly's confirmation hearing.

An official of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said that those who participated in the vote would face disciplinary action. However, any action looks implausible, considering so many civil servants took part and any government action could trigger a solidarity strike.

The KCTU has had a series of run-ins with the Lee Myung-bak administration, playing a leading role in two months of demonstrations against its decision to allow U.S. beef imports back on the Korean market.

KT and Ssangyong Motors unions left the militant group, and Seoul Metro and several others have reportedly considered secession. Hyundai Motors, the largest and the most powerful sector in the group, is now planning an election for a new leadership, where anti-KCTU sympathy is getting serious support.

Thus the civil service unions' vote could boost the KCTU's influence, possibly causing more labor disputes and making it more militant.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr