hankyoreh

Nov. 18. (by Lee Jeong-ah

By Kim Chang-geum, staff reporter

South Korean ranked in the lowest category of countries on the Global Rights Index, an International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) report published on May 19 based on a survey of labor rights in 139 countries.

Countries on the index are ranked from 1 to 5, with a 5 representing those where labor laws that do exist are not observed and legitimate worker rights are not protected.

Describing countries with a 5 rating, the ITUC said workers were, among other things, “exposed to autocratic regimes.”

South Korea’s rating of 5 puts it together with 24 other countries that include China, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Laos, the Philippines, Turkey, and Zimbabwe. Kuwait earned a higher rating of 4, while Ghana earned a 3.

The ITUC calculates its ranking by assessing 97 items in five categories: citizen freedoms, ability to establish unions, union activities, collective bargaining, and strike participations. One point is calculated each time a right is infringed. Countries with a ranking of 5 have 35 or more points.

Issues cited in South Korea’s case include the refusal to register the Korean Government Employees’ Union, the decision to revoke the Korean Teachers’ and Education Workers’ legal union status, mass firings of Korean Railway Workers‘ Union members who went on strike, and legal damage claims against unions.

There is a 5+ category below the ranking of 5, but its members are countries with systematic breakdowns caused by civil war and other disorder, such as Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria. For countries with functioning systems, 5 is the worst ranking.

Ranking 1, indicating labor rights are generally guaranteed, included 18 countries where unions have high organization rates and a powerful voice, including Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Finland, France, and Italy, as well as Uruguay, led by President Jose Mujica, who has earned infamy for his frugal habits and humility.

ITCU secretary-general Sharan Burrow said she expected the results to get the attention of governments and employers around the world.

The ITCU is the world’s largest labor union group, representing 175 million workers in 161 countries.

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