Turnout low for nationwide labor demonstrations

Posted on : 2006-11-23 16:03 KST Modified on : 2006-11-23 16:03 KST
Gov't policies, U.S.-S.K. FTA targets of protestors

A major umbrella labor group staged demonstrations across the country on October 22, with workers taking to the streets in protest of what they claim is a government move to degrade labor rights. Their other object of contention was the ongoing talks on a proposed free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said that among a total of 586,000 members from 197 labor union groups, 145,000 or 24.7 percent, joined the nationwide protest. According to estimates by the Labor Ministry, however, the number stood at 58,000 from 92 union groups. Either way, the relatively low participation rate pales in comparison with the large-scale demonstrations in the 1980s in South Korea.

The National Assembly and the government "are dragging their feet in passing an appropriate bill designed to improve labor rights for part-time workers," an executive member of the KCTU said. "No one is paying attention to this delay, so we opted for a strike. We also decided to voice our concerns over free trade talks with the U.S., since the outcome will have significant bearing on our livelihood."

Despite its strong rhetoric, however, the KCTU is suffering from a lack of representation. On November 14, it held a vote to determine whether to go on strike, but only 53.7 percent of members participated, with 62 percent of those participating voting in favor of the strike. In addition, these figures followed the union's decision to push the voting deadline forward due to a low turnout.

Also, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, another umbrella labor group, did not join in the nationwide protest at all. The two groups represent 10.3 percent of all workers in South Korea. This lack of cooperation between the nation's two largest umbrella labor unions stands in sharp contrast with their history of cooperation. The two groups are now diverging in their approaches to the main issues facing South Korean labor.

Some say that the labor movement is out of touch with the issues more germane ordinary individuals, such as soaring real estate prices. "In the long-term, free trade with Washington could have a detrimental impact on workers, but most ordinary people are feeling pinch from the skyrocketing property prices right now," an official of the National Union of Media Workers said.

KCTU leadership said it had no choice but to go on strike. "On November 15, we sent a warning by staging a four-hour protest, while urging lawmakers and government officials to address our demands. But they were all ignored," a spokesperson said.


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