1. Labor pushes forward with labor-government negotiations to deal with current labor issues
On 12 May, the KCTU held a press conference to request that the government engage in negotiations with labor. The KCTU plans to demand that the administration deal with current labor issues. Major KCTU demands for labor-government negotiations are proposal of roadmap to set KRW 10,000 per hour as the minimum wage, abolishment of government labor guidelines (on dismissal of low-performing workers, changes to employment rules, performance-based wage systems, and corrective orders to collective agreements), and abolishment of administrative interpretations on working hours and ordinary wage.
The FKTU is pushing ahead with constituting a regular labor-government policy consultative body and holding a meeting with President Moon and the president of the FKTU, Kim Joo-young. Major FKTU demands for labor-government negotiations are autonomous decision by labor and management regarding the amount of wages for full-time union officers, abolishment of two major government labor guidelines and performance-based wage systems, and setting of KRW 10,000 per hour as the minimum wage.
However, the FKTU is watching how the government is being reorganized and will decide when to request a dialogue with the government as President Moon promised the FKTU that he would engage in labor-government dialogue through a policy pact before the presidential election,.
2. Concerns grow over labor relations in the public sector as labor demands conversion of non-regular worker status to regular employment
On 18 May, the Joint Public Sector Committee involving the two umbrella unions held a press conference to demand that the government improve working conditions and convert the employment status of non-regular workers at public institutions to regular employment. The Committee is composed of the Korean Financial Industry Union (KFIU) and the Federation of Korean Public Industry Trade Unions (FKPITU), both under the FKTU, and the Korean Public & Social Services & Transportation Workers’ Union (KPTU) and the Korean Health & Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU), both under the KCTU.
Labor’s demand to convert the status of non-regular workers to regular employment is expected to spread throughout the public sector, and the FKTU plans to prioritize conversion of the status of 8,000 non-regular workers in Korea Post. Then-presidential candidate Moon visited Yongsan Post Office on 21 February and promised to do exactly that and improve working conditions for Korea Post workers.
The Non-regular school workers’ union, under the Korean Federation of Private Service Workers’ Unions (KFPSWU), which is affiliated with the KCTU, and the Seoul National University Branch of the Korean University Workers’ Union (KUWU) demanded on 12 May and 17 May, respectively, that the government convert the status of non-regular workers or secure the same level of working conditions as their regular worker counterparts.
3. KCTU to concentrate its efforts in a general strike from end of June to beginning of July
The KCTU is attempting to create a militant atmosphere through its “National Workers’ Rally” on 1 May and other outdoor actions afterwards.
On 27 May, the KCTU held a “Right Now Candlelight Action” at Gwanghwamun Square with a call for “10,000 Won Actions”, calling for abolishment of the use of non-regular workers and KRW 10,000 per hour as minimum wage.
The KCTU also gave notice of its intent to carry out a general strike beginning 30 June and relay the strike through its affiliated industrial unions from 1 to 7 July to support the demand to raise the minimum wage.
Meanwhile, the KMWU (Korean Metal Workers’ Union) and the KPTU are expected to take the lead in KCTU actions in the second half of the year. The two unions plan to participate in the KCTU’s general and relay strikes once they receive the right to strike by the end of June.