1. Labor opposes the Saenuri party’s proposed revisions of the Labor Standards Act and plans to strengthen its campaign to block legislation.
As the issues surrounding the Saenuri party’s plans to partially revise the Labor Standards Act are magnified, the KCTU plans to increase its strikes towards withdrawal of the proposed revisions.
[Table 1] Partial Revision of Labor Standards Act (proposed on 2 October)
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∆ Include holiday work in “extended work”
– Apply in stages according to company size
– If more than 12 hours of extended work is necessary in a week, then a maximum of 20 hours per week may be allowed upon written agreement from the labor representative
– Holiday work will no longer be paid at a 50% premium
∆ Stipulate the definition of “ordinary wage”
∆ Introduce a system to bank up time off for overtime hours worked
∆ Extend the unit period of the flexible work hours system (from 2 weeks~3 months to 1 month~12 months)
∆ Strengthen financial penalties for employers with overdue payment of wages
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The KCTU’s affiliated regional branches* held nationwide rallies in front of regional Saenuri party offices on 13 October and urged the withdrawal of the proposed revisions to the Labor Standards Act.
* Regional branches in Gwangju∙Jeonnam, Gangwon, Daejeon∙Chungnam, Incheon, and Jeju
Unstable industrial relations are concerned over the amendments in the second half of this year, as the KCTU is planning to block the legislation through a rally on 21 October in front of each regional office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The FKTU has also criticized the Saenuri party’s proposed revisions to the Labor Standards Act, arguing that they would cause a decline in workers’ income and have threatened labor action against the Saenuri party if it does not withdraw the proposed revisions. In particular, the FKTU plans to raise these proposed changes to the Labor Standards Act as a major agenda item at its National Workers’ Rally on 22 November.
2. KCTU focuses on direct election system of its leadership
The KCTU announced its upcoming elections of its executives.
[Table 2] KCTU Schedule for Direct Elections
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2 Oct.: Public notice of elections
30 Oct.: Electoral registration
3~7 Nov.: Candidate registration
8 Nov. ~ 2 Dec.: Election campaign
3~9 Dec.: Voting
9~10 Dec.: Ballot count and public notice of elected candidates
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Since the KCTU’s leadership elections will be conducted in a direct system, the various factions such as the Citizen Faction, the Central Faction, and the Field Faction are choosing their candidates and wrapping up their candidate registration. The KCTU’s direct election of its leadership has been postponed 3 times* in the past 4 years (2009 to 2013). There is a likelihood that internal conflicts may arise again over such issues as eligibility of union membership and unfair practices during the elections.
* The KCTU’s direct election system was first introduced in 2007 and postponed 3 times in the years up to 2013. Mr. Young-hoon Kim resigned the KCTU presidency due to the lack of preparations for implementation of the direct election system.
3. The KLUC plans to integrate its organizations with the FKTU to strengthen influence
The KLUC (Korean Labor Unions Confederation) held a representatives’ meeting on 15 October and decided to integrate its affiliated organizations with the FKTU, with the motion passing with a vote of 37 to 27 among its registered delegates. This integration with the FKTU seems to be a result of a failure of its branch of the Seoul Metro Subway Labor Union being unable to secure a spot as the bargaining representative union, and failure to recruit the Hyundai Heavy Industries Union.
* Seoul Metro Subway Labor Union 1 (bargaining representative union): around 5,000 members (under the KCTU)
Seoul Metro Subway Labor Union 2: around 2,800 members (under the KLUC)
Instead of the KLUC, its affiliated unions seem to become a member of the FKTU, and afterwards, the member unions under the KLUC will concentrate on strengthening their power.
After forming a committee for promotion of integration with the FKTU, specific methods for integration and timing will be discussed.