ED Union hit for boycott
KCTU should drop old tactics, join social dialogue
One of the nation's two umbrella unions has invited severe criticism for boycotting a dialogue with management, government and representatives of society. It is reckless and irresponsible for the union to fail to make a decision on participating in the three-way negotiations.
On Monday, the progressive Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) failed to vote on whether to take part in the Economic, Social and Labor Council. The failure is seen as the KCTU's refusal to solve labor disputes and other social issues through dialogue and compromise.
The boycott means that hard-line members of the KCTU are gaining ground. This will certainly have a negative effect on the Moon Jae-in administration's efforts to begin full-fledged operation of the council which was set up last year.
The presidential office said Tuesday the government will operate the council without the KCTU. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a statement, “Dialogue and compromise are not a matter of choice that we can choose to have or not.”
But it is difficult to see smooth sailing for the council. Another umbrella group, the conservative Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) which has already joined the council, also decided not to join the negotiations temporarily to protest a management move over the pending ratification of International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions.
The FKTU has made it clear the ratification is non-negotiable and the country should carry it out as agreed under a free trade agreement with the European Union. However, employers are trying to attach conditions to the ratification to elicit concessions from the unions and the government.
Against this backdrop, we urge the KCTU to participate in the council immediately. Failing to do so will only escalate conflict with employers and the Moon administration. It will further tarnish the union's image as a militant labor group. If it continues to resort to violent strikes and sit-ins instead of finding a negotiated solution, it will inevitably lose its credibility and legitimacy.
The KCTU, whose members are mostly workers at big businesses, banks and financial firms, has long come under fire for going too far in protecting its vested interests. It has paid little attention to employees of smaller firms as well as irregular workers.
Its leadership and members might become dissatisfied with the government which is considering changing how to fix the minimum wage and expanding flexible working hours.
But they should remember that President Moon is still maintaining a labor-friendly policy. They need to understand that the administration is trying to make some changes to minimize the side effects of his income-led growth policy.
The unions' leaders need to acknowledge that steep hikes in the minimum wage and the shortened 52-hour workweek have dealt a blow to Moon's efforts to create more jobs. Employers, particularly small businesses and the self-employed, have hired fewer workers to reduce soaring labor costs amid the prolonged economic slump.
Despite these dire conditions, the KCTU has threatened to stage a strike four times this year. Just sticking to old-fashioned methods could put not only its members but also their companies and the economy in harm's way.