Park issues warning against illegal protests

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Mon, November 28, 2022 | 12:47

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Park issues warning against illegal protests

법무장관 "민노총 예고 총파업은 불법…묵과 못해"

Posted : 2016-01-25 15:54

Updated : 2016-01-25 19:25

By Yi Whan-woo

President Park Geun-hye vowed Monday not to tolerate illegal protests in what is viewed as a warning intended for the country's largest umbrella labor union, which threatened last week to take to the streets to protest the government's labor reforms.

"An act that leads to social chaos is no good for the government or individuals," Park said during a meeting with her senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae. "I'll take stern measures against those who will be held responsible for mobilizing and stirring up illegal demonstrations."

She cited the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) which has been debating whether to organize a general strike after deciding on Jan. 19 to walk out of trilateral talks involving the government and management.

The FKTU, the country's umbrella labor union represented the labor sector at the three-way meeting but has stepped out of the talks.

"The FKTU refuses to engage in a dialogue and instead plans to have its members take to streets until its demands are met," Park said.

"To avoid a possible financial crisis (as in the late 1990s), it's critical to stay away from such collectivism.

"We should not falter and continue to pursue reforms for the future generations," she added.

FKTU President Kim Dong-man said that the union will no longer participate in future talks, claiming that the Park administration has acted "unilaterally" while pursuing its stated aim of making the labor market more flexible.

He opposed the government's draft guidelines introduced in December that will allow companies to formally sack underperforming employees and amend employment rules more easily without the consent from workers.

According to the President, the guidelines are aimed at sharing jobs between young job seekers in their 20s and 30s and those aged 50 or older.

Arguing that such policies are a breach of a trilateral deal agreed on Sept. 15, 2015, Kim said the FKTU will battle against the government.

The FKTU has been debating whether to join forces with the Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU), the country's second largest umbrella union, to call an indefinite general strike.

The FKTU and KCTU have 843,174 and 631,415 members, respectively. The total number accounts for 77 percent of the labor unionists nationwide.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has been investigating possible violations of freedom of speech in Korea.

Maina Kiai, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, has been meeting government officials and a range of interest groups, including human rights activists and representatives of labor unions since he arrived in Seoul on Jan. 21.

Kiai will hold a press conference and share his findings before his departure on Jan. 29.

법무장관 "민노총 예고 총파업은 불법…묵과 못해"

정부가 민주노총이 예고한 무기한 총파업을 불법으로 규정하고 엄정 대처하겠다는 방침을 분명히했다.

김현웅 법무부 장관은 24일 담화를 통해 '민주노총이 지난해 11월 불법 폭력시위를 주도해 사회에 엄청난 피해를 안기고도 또다시 무기한 총파업을 예고했다'며 '절차를 준수하지 않고 정부의 정책에 반대하기 위해 총파업에 돌입한다면 이는 '불법 파업'에 해당한다'고 말했다.

이어 '거듭된 불법 시위에 이어 전국적 총파업을 기도하고 국민과 국가에 피해를 끼친다면 결과는 민노총이 책임져야 할 것'이라고 경고했다.

김 장관은 불안한 안보 상황 등을 이유로 꼽으며 노동계의 불법 파업 자제를 당부했다.

그는 '지구촌 곳곳의 테러로 국민 안전에 대한 불안이 고조되고 있고 북한도 핵실험을 감행하는 등 국제법 위반행위를 서슴없이 자행하고 있다'고 거론했다.

김 장관은 '이런 대내외적 안보 위기 속에서 민노총이 불법파업을 강행한다면 정부는 법과 원칙에 따라 엄정하게 그 책임을 추궁할 것'이라고 밝혔다.

민주노총은 정부의 '저성과자 해고·취업규칙 변경요건 완화' 행정지침 발표에 반발해 25일부터 무기한 총파업에 나서기로 했다. (연합뉴스)

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