’Spring struggle’: Industrial peace determines nation’s economic future
Korea Times
’Spring Struggle’:Industrial Peace Determines Nation’s Economic Future
28 March 2006
Labor disputes occur in this country regardless of the season, but spring still comes as the most worrisome time. This year is no exception. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has announced it would stage a general strike in April 3-14 in protest of parliament’s passage of a bill that labor thinks unfavorable to irregular workers and the government’s labor road map,'' followed by walkouts of some industrial unions. It is disheartening to imagine another repetition of reckless actions and brutal crackdowns.
KCTU, the more militant of the nation's two umbrella unions, also opposes the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, while calling for the provision of free medical and educational services. Still, rejecting the FTA talks with America altogether neither seems to be a good idea nor suits global trends. This page has pointed out problems in Korea's weak-kneed negotiating posture, but it was mainly aimed to stress the need for maximizing national interests. Asking for medicare and education free of charge is too premature.
More problematic than specific reasons cited by KCTU is its unaltered approach to labor issues. Even since President Roh replaced his labor minister at the union's persistent demands, KCTU has shied away from the tripartite forum with government and management. It's past time that the umbrella group _ mostly composed of high-paying, big business unions _ reconsider itsno-talk-action-only’’ stance. The new KCTU leadership should not try to recover its fallen reputation with hard-line tactics.
Nor are government and employers free from blame for lukewarm efforts to prevent labor disputes. The government is moving to keep banning the payment of wages to full-time union officials and unify the bargaining channels of multiple unions at one company. These run counter to international trends that leave it upon the decisions of labor and management. The Korea Employers Federation’s recent guideline on hefty increases in executives’ pay will also become another bone of contention.
The nation’s labor-management relationship has a long way to go before acquiring the industrial peace of advanced countries. Unilateral actions should give place to more concession and conversation. In this regard, former Labor Minister Kim Dae-hwan’s criticism Monday of all the three parties concerned ㅡ government, management and union ㅡ for not adhering to law and principle has some points. But he and his successor, Lee Sang-soo, should ponder whether there are no problems in the law and principle.
Troubled relationships between employers and employees have been and will continue to be a major stumbling block on the road to the nation’s growth. Both sides, along with policymakers, need to abandon narrow-minded and shortsighted selfishness and learn how to compromise and work with a broader perspective. Korea faces a very bleak future if it undergoes more years of labor disturbances.
