![]() ![]() NS: How do trade unionists in South Korea view the presence of US troops on the peninsula? And the current government has been quite careful not to rock the US-South Korea military alliance, thus representing a continuation from the past. While this is a change in position from that of the immediate predecessor in government, it has precedents under the former Kim Dae Jung and Noh Moo Hyun governments. WSL: The current government of Moon Jae In has re-engaged in dialogue with North Korea, which was completely cut off under the previous president Park Geun Hye. NS: How do you view the current South Korean government? Does the current administration mark a break from past policies that might open the way for peace? For example, there are high minimum service requirements that have to be met during strikes across most of the public sector, including transport. Limits and proscriptions are placed on what we can bargain about in the public sector and also on the right to strike per se. This stops some classes of civil servants, as well as “owner operators,” from forming trade unions and exercising their rights. WSL: Korean capital is very anti-union and uses all sorts of union busting techniques, legal and illegal, including the formation of yellow unions, dismissals and other pressure on workers, even violence. NS: What restrictions exist on the activity of trade unions and trade unionists in the work place? On the other hand, trade unions have never really been recognised as “social partners” by the government and capital in Korea in the way they are in many European countries, meaning that our influence is always dependent on our ability to take collective action in a given moment. ![]() This has, at times, had a strong impact on the direction of policy or even which government is in power.įor example, KCTU unions played a vital role in the candlelight uprising that led to the impeachment of the previous president in 2016-17. At national level, KCTU affiliates have generally exercised their influence and power on economic and other policy through the mobilising of national protests, strikes and other forms of collective action. The strength, or not, of a union in terms of collective bargaining largely depends on the particular workplace and sector. Of course, there is higher density in certain workplaces and industries and in the public sector in general. Less than 5 per cent are part of the democratic trade union confederation KCTU. WSL: Trade union density is only 10 per cent in South Korea. NS: How much influence does the trade union movement possess in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), in terms of collective bargaining, economic policy and also more broadly in terms of the political agenda? We have almost 200,000 members, are affiliated to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and are the largest industrial union in South Korea. Wol-san Liem: Our union organises both permanently employed and precariously employed - part-time, subcontracted etc - workers at public institutions, social care workers and public and private transport workers. Navid Shomali (NS): Please briefly tell us about your union. ![]()
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