Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr
Gov't, businesses slam KCTU's general strike
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) head Yang Kyung-soo, sixth from left, and union members hold a press conference in front of the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. The union members said Monday's walkout will continue through July 15. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Lee Kyung-min
Biggest umbrella labor group starts 2-week walkout
By Lee Kyung-min
The government and a coalition of employers’ groups called for stern measures against what they have characterized as “illegal strike,” railroaded by the top left-wing umbrella union dismissing due negotiation process stipulated under the law, the industry ministry and the groups said Monday.
The move came after the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) launched a two-week general strike Monday morning to protest the Yoon Suk Yeol government's labor policies.
Business groups argue that the collective action is undermining not only the recent turnaround momentum in the country’s trade balance, but also threatens stability in healthcare and other services industries.
The “politically-charged” agenda of delegitimizing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, engineered by the KCTU, is and will be a lost cause, in their view, as blunted by souring public sentiment against labor group conflating politics with extended acts of a few unionized workers seeking to cripple economic activities.
In response, labor groups said the Yoon administration should be ousted for degrading the values of labor, democracy, peace and livelihoods. They maintain the hourly minimum wage should be raised to over 12,000 won ($9.17) from 9,620 won.
Other demands include that it scrap plans to restrict labor activities, as illustrated by audits of government-funded labor organizations. They want the government to take measures against Japan discharging treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, center, and heads of employers' groups pose before a government briefing at the Seoul Government Complex, Monday. Yonhap
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang and the heads of six economic organizations said the KCTU's announcement of a two-week strike from Monday is a clear violation of the labor law.
“Any collective action pursued with no regard to related negotiation processes stipulated under the law is illegal,” Lee said during a briefing at the Seoul Government Complex.
The minister said the recent move by the umbrella union is extremely concerning, echoing the sentiment of businesses.
“The country's business community should demonstrate a unified and uncompromising stance against unreasonable labor demands, including unilateral acts of promoting vested self-interests and violating the labor law,” he added.
Propelling what the labor group claims is an oppressive and hardline stance by the government is an earlier-than-expected upturn in Korea's economic outlook.
“Korea is at a pivotal crossroads whereby the country's export growth must be underpinned by cooperation between labor and management. The economic outlook in the latter half will be determined largely by the performance of key growth-driver industries ― automobiles and shipbuilding ― which are extremely vulnerable to labor risks,” Lee added.
The crossroads refer to Korea registering a trade surplus of $1.13 billion in June, snapping out of a 16-month trade deficit. Powering the upbeat performance was a slower-than-expected decrease in exports of semiconductors, coupled with stabilizing global energy prices that led to a decrease in fuel import costs.
The six organizations ― Korea Enterprises Federation, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Korea Federation of Industries, Korea International Trade Association, K-Biz and Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea ― issued a joint statement, criticizing the umbrella labor group's collective action.
“It is unjustified,” a KCCI official said.
The slew of politically motivated agenda items put forth by the labor group lacks not only logic but also legitimacy, the six groups said.
“The ousting of the Yoon administration, labor reform and Fukushima waste water discharge are all political demands, irrelevant to the group pushing ahead with what will clearly result in a sustained scarring of the economy,” the group said.
“The irresponsible acts of a few will end up frustrating the efforts of businesses and the government to reinvigorate the economy. We demand the labor group withdraw plans for a two-week strike.”
The KCTU announced the strike at a press conference in front of the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul.
“Up to 400,000 of our 1.2 million members will participate in the walkout,” it said.
Industry unions under the group plan to take turns striking through July 15, accompanied by simultaneous weekday and weekend candlelight vigils across the country.
The group plans to hold candlelight vigils in select cities at 7 p.m. on July 4, July 7, July 11 and 14, demanding Yoon's resignation.