On 12 February, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a regular convention and discussed its strike plans for 2015. The KCTU is planning general strikes in April and November, a minimum wage related strike in June, and joint strikes at workplace from August to October.
[Table 1] KCTU Strike Plans for 2015
|
Period
|
Action
|
|
January ~ February
|
• Form public pension strike committee
• 1st field visit (February ~ March)
• Rally by individual workplace representatives
(End of February)
|
|
March ~ April
|
• Actions to the Tripartite Commission
• Wage/collective bargaining
• Strife directed towards the extraordinary session of the National Assembly
|
|
End of
April ~ June
|
• Preparation for strikes for political action
• Continuous strikes to push for stronger rights to strike
• Actions on minimum wage
• Joint strikes against pension reform by the KGEU (Korean Government Employees’ Union) and the KTU (Korean Teachers’ & Education Workers’ Union)
|
|
August ~
October
|
• 2nd field visit
• Joint strikes in workplaces with labor disputes
|
|
November ~ December
|
• Preparation for political strikes
• National Workers’ Rally (November)
|
The KCTU plans to raise funds of KRW 8 billion (USD 7.26 million) for general strikes by levying KRW 10,000 per union member to create working and action groups for a general strike in April, in which the KCTU is also urging its affiliates to participate.
The Korean Plant Construction Workers’ Union (KPCWU), the Korean Chemical & Textile Workers’ Federation (KCTWF), and the KGEU held regular conventions and agreed to join the general strike and KCTU action in April. Of particular note is that the KGEU, a major force, emphasized the need for action against the government through a nationwide rally to support the existing public pension system (25 April).
The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) held its central executive committee meeting on 10 February and discussed major strike plans for 2015 including two general strikes (April and end of June to early July) and a full-scale rally (in the 2nd half of the year).
[Table 2] KMWU Strike Plans in the 1st half of 2015
|
Period
|
Action
|
Period
|
Action
|
|
February
|
• Form joint committee
|
May
|
• Concentrate on wage and collective bargaining
• Actions against revision of employment regulations
• Outdoor rally on 1 May
|
|
March
|
• Concentrate actions on the Tripartite Commission
• Joint strikes by the FKTU-KCTU Joint Committee of Manufacturing Workers’ Unions
|
June
|
• Strike over minimum wage
• Joint strikes by the FKTU-KCTU Joint Committee of Manufacturing Workers’ Unions
• Mediation request
(10 June)
|
|
April
|
• Begin central-level collective bargaining
(7 April)
• General strike to block amendment to related labor laws
|
End of June to early July
|
• Concentrate actions during wage and collective bargaining periods
|
* The KMWU plans to decide on major strikes for the 2nd half of 2015 at a convention on 3 March
* The KMWU is considering participation in the KTCU strikes in the 2nd half of the year after its leadership elections (September)