1. Labor continues action leading up to the general elections
On 14 March, the two major umbrella unions held a forum to compare public pledges of each party on labor policies, and criticized the government and ruling party for their labor market reform plans. The two umbrella unions also demanded each party make election promises to abolish the two major labor reform guidelines, reduce working hours, enforce direct employment in case of constant and continuous work, and strengthen the labor inspections.
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) has decided their policies for the general election as a judgment against anti-labor parties for what they call retrogressive revision of labor laws, but there are internal conflicts within the FKTU since major executives put their name on the list of proportional representative candidates for the Saenuri Party, among them Yi-ja Lim, the chairperson of the FKTU Central Women’s Committee and Jin-kook Moon, former president of the FKTU. Militant unions from the metal and chemical sectors under the FKTU criticized their nomination as proportional representatives for the Saenuri Party in the statement and demanded an official apology and an opposition stance on the nomination from FKTU executives.
The FKTU held its central executive committee meeting to discuss holding by-elections, but internal conflicts will deepen over whether a provisional convention should be held to elect a secretary-general.
On 17 March, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) introduced the candidates that the KCTU endorses and requested membership support for those candidates in a trade union representatives’ rally. The KCTU plans to select districts where election chances are high as “strategic constituencies” and focus its support on candidates for those constituencies.
The KCTU also decided its policies leading up to the general elections on 13 April, which include restoration of pro-labor politics, the breaking of Park Geun-hye’s administration, and criticism of the retrogressive revision of labor laws and opened a Joint Labor Strife Office on 18 February. The Joint Labor Strife Office issued a notice that it will launch negative campaigns against candidates from the government and the ruling party.
* The Joint Labor Strife Office for the general elections consists of 20 progressive labor organizations including the KCTU, the Korean Peasants League, the Korean Women Peasants Association and The Korean People’s Solidarity Against Poverty.
2. Concerns over confusion in industrial relations in the financial services sector
As the Korean Finance & Service Union (KFSU), affiliated with the FKTU, prepares its excessive demands for collective bargaining in 2016, anxiety will grow regarding labor relations in the financial sector.
At a branch union representatives workshop on 17~18 March, the KFSU discussed demands for industrial bargaining in 2016 regarding a 4% wage hike and opposing the restructuring of wage systems.
The Korean Federation of Private Service Workers’ Unions (KFPSWU), affiliated with the KCTU, launched a preparation committee to establish a (tentatively-named) Hypermarket Industry Union on 15 March. This Hypermarket Industry Union consists of 2,700 union members from unions affiliated with the KFPSWU under the KCTU, including the Homeplus union, the E-Mart union and the Democratic Lotte Mart union. Confusion in labor relations at these hypermarkets is causing concern since the preparation committee plans to raise allegation of unfair labor practices through publicity on labor relations at hypermarkets in order to strengthen organizational capabilities.