Employers up against anti-FTA strikes
Korea Times, 10 July 2006
Employers Up Against Anti-FTA Strikes
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
The Korea Employers Federation Monday called for an end to “illegal” strikes aimed at thwarting the establishment of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and the United States.
In a statement, the organization of corporate leaders argued that general strikes planned by unions against the bilateral FTA are illegal.
Fearing its wider spread among workplaces, the federation’s statement comes amid increasing signs of unions organizing demonstrations in opposition to the FTA negotiations.
The federation is asking the government and companies to deal sternly with the unions.
The federation cited the won’s appreciation, all-time high oil prices, drawbacks in facility investment, shrinking domestic spending and North Korea’s missile test as factors weighing the national economy down.
Any illegal general strikes that take place under these circumstances will bring paralysis to national industrial activities, further putting the entire nation in danger,'' the federation said.It is an irresponsible act that will take jobs away from people.’’
The group points out that although the unions claim their strike plans promote the causes of thwarting an FTA and achieving a stable change in the labor-management relations, they say these causes can't just be justified.''
It added their goals are not something that can be settled in worksites so it is imperative they shouldn't even start strikes.
At the same time, the employers' representatives accused the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, of double-faced tactics _ participating in tripartite discussions with the government and employers about ways of improving union-management relations, on one hand, while stage-managing illegal strikes on the other.
The employers claim the recent rearrangement of unions for industry-specific groupings turned out to be a union scheme aimed at increasing their combativeness, so the government should deal with illegal strikes from a standpoint of law and order.
In a directive to each company, the federation observed that the Korean union confederation is wreaking havoc on the national economy through its annual labor strife.
Companies are called on to give a stern warning at the first sign of unions at their companies joining a solidarity strike and also seeking compensation for damages caused by such industrial activities and to stick to theno-work-no-pay’’ principle.
