Labor, gov't on collision course as they prepare for negotiations
Further clashes are looming between the government and workers as the nation's two umbrella labor groups have scheduled joint rallies and strikes this week to protest corporate restructuring despite warnings of harsh consequences, observers said yesterday.
Source : Korea Herald
Further clashes are looming between the government and workers as the nation's two umbrella labor groups have scheduled joint rallies and strikes this week to protest corporate restructuring despite warnings of harsh consequences, observers said yesterday.
More than 14,000 public sector workers belonging to the two labor groups held a rally at Seoul Station plaza yesterday to demand an end to what they call the government's "unilateral" reform of public corporations.
After the rally, protesters marched to Myondong Cathedral in downtown Seoul, causing severe traffic jams on major downtown roads.
Both of the heads of the rival umbrella labor organizations - the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) - attended the rally in their first joint appearance since they vowed to unite to fight the government's reform drive.
Lee Nam-soon, leader of the FKTU, which boasts a membership of 1 million workers, and Dan Byung-ho, head of the more militant KCTU, which has about 600,000 members, pledged Friday to launch joint strikes early next month.
"We strongly oppose the unilateral corporate restructuring which forces only workers to make sacrifices," the two labor leaders said in a statement. "We call for its repeal."
The two leaders agreed to set up a "joint struggle committee" to discuss nationwide general strikes declared for Dec. 5 and Dec. 8 to demand a halt to the government restructuring and a five-day workweek without pay cuts.
Members of the FKTU-affiliated union of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and the KCTU-affiliated union of Korea Telecom participated in the rally, the first joint action in what many people are calling this year's "winter struggle" of laborers.
Unionized workers at KEPCO had planned to launch an unprecedented strike last Friday, but put it off until Wednesday after accepting a compromise in last-minute talks.
The state power utility's union plans to go on strike beginning Thursday if there are no acceptable changes in the government's plan to split their company into five units that will be sold to private investors.
The privatization program, which unionists fear will lead to mass layoffs, is in line with the government's pledge to restructure the huge, inefficient state monopoly, along with other large conglomerates and outdated financial institutions.
To support KEPCO unionists, other public sector workers belonging to the two labor groups plan to hold rallies at 10 places throughout the nation Thursday.
In addition, construction sector workers affiliated with the KCTU also plan to go on strike Wednesday morning and stage a rally later in the day at the Seoul Station plaza.
Other collective labor actions scheduled for this week include a university workers' rally and a banking-sector workers' rally, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in front of the National Assembly complex in Yoido.
By Chang Jae-soon Staff reporter
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