The Federation of Korean Trade Unions held its 26th electoral convention on 24th January 2017. Mr. Joo-young Kim (president of the Federation of Korean Public Industry Trade Unions) was elected as President, and Mr. Sung-kyung Lee (president of the Federation of Korean Rubber Workers’ Unions) as Secretary-General. Of the 2,882 ballots cast from 3,125 qualified voters of 25 affiliates, Mr. Joo-young Kim gained 1,735 votes or 172 votes above the 1,563 required for a majority.
[Table 1] Election Outcome
|
Electoral College |
Ballots Cast |
Mr. Joo-young Kim | Mr. Man-jae Kim |
Disqualified votes/ abstentions |
|
3,125 people |
2,882 votes
(92.2%) |
1,735 votes
(60.2%) |
1,137 votes
(39.5%) |
10 votes (0.3%) |
[Table 2] Biographies of President-elect & Secretary General-elect
|
Mr. Joo-young Kim (President-elect) · Born in Korea in 1961 · Started career in Korea Electric Power Corporation (1986) · Served as president of the Korean National Electrical Workers Union from 2002 (4 terms) · President of the Federation of Korean Public Industry Trade Unions from 2013 (3 terms) |
Mr. Sung-kyung Lee (Secretary General-elect) · Born in Korea in 1960 · Served as president of Nexen Tire Workers’ Union from 1989 (9 terms) · Served as president of Yangsan regional branch of the FKTU from 2000 (4 terms) · President of the Federation of Korean Rubber Workers’ Unions since 2015 |
[Table 3] Pledges of President-elect & Secretary General-elect and Main issues in Industrial Unions
|
Election Pledges |
Issues in Industrial Unions |
|
▴ Social reform through regime change – Through ballot, FKTU membership decides who to support in the upcoming presidential election in Korea – Promote abrogation of anti-labor policies and revision of labor laws such as amending multiple union and time-off systems ▴ Labor Politics – Announce that union leadership will not run in any political elections; Amend union regulations to dismiss the leadership if they run for political elections ▴ Make union members priority – Major policy of the Federation would be decided through votes of the members or at representatives of affiliates ▴ Integration of the FKTU – Establish a dispute mediation committee to arbitrate in concerns between industrial unions |
▴ Revision of the Trade Union & Labor Relations Adjustment Act (issues regarding wages of full-time union officials, the multiple union system) ▴ Opposition to introduction of Guidelines on Fair Personnel Management/ Rules of Employment, and performance-based wage systems ▴ Legislation against using non-regular workers for jobs related to protection of safety ▴ Abolishment of the MOEL’s corrective order to collective agreements ▴ Improvements to the Act on Management of Public Institutions and Guidelines on Budgeting & Management assessment of Public Institutions
▴ Abolish the government control over the financial system, and strengthen institutions’ public nature.
▴ Oppose privatization of health care, and create special laws on health and medical service personnel |