INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU) ICFTU ONLINE...

Brussels, January 2, 1997 (ICFTU OnLine): Observers from the ICFTU and its Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation (APRO) will be despatched to South Korea as local trade unions embark on a second wave of strikes to protest at new labour legislation which maintains strong restrictions on workers' right to organise while giving Korean employers a free-hand to dismiss and exploit workers.

The new legislation which was rushed through parliament on December 27 in the absence of representatives from the opposition fails to meet Korea's own commitment to both the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) which it joined in 1992 and to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which it joined this year.

The ICFTU has immediately lodged a formal complaint against Korea at the ILO while the TUAC, the trade union advisory council to the OECD, has called on the OECD's Labour, Employment and Social Affairs Committee to review the Korean situation as a matter of urgency.

Both the ICFTU and the TUAC have called on their respective affiliates to support the action of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) as they embark on their second wave of strikes after a short pause on New Year.

According to the latest information, the KCTU has threatened to resume strike action today by 2300 GMT if the government fails to abrogate the new legislation, while the FKTU plans a second round of strikes by January 11.

Both unions have warned the government that their action will escalate if no decision on their demands is made. The new law enables companies to lay off workers, replace strikers and resort to unpaid overtime while postponing respect for the universal right of freedom of association and the recognition of the presently outlawed 500,000 strong KCTU until the year 2000 and maintaining a ban on trade union organisation for government employees and teachers.

In its complaint to the ILO, the ICFTU accuses Korea of deliberately reneging on its promises to put labour laws into conformity with the UN agency international conventions. "Time and again the Korean government has pledged to honour its obligations as a member of the ILO by amending labour legislation inherited from the past military regimes, but what we see now is a giant step backwards which not only fails to improve labour rights, but actually enables employers to repress trade unions and exploit workers in total impunity," said Bill Jordan, ICFTU General Secretary.

The Paris-based Trade Union Advisory Committee (Tuac) to the OECD, an ICFTU-associated body, has announced that it will seize the OECD's Employment Labour and Social Affairs Committee to review the Korean labour situation. Korea had made a solemn commitment to the OECD to reform its existing laws and regulations on industrial relations as a price for being invited to join the Paris Club.

"The Korean government should be wise to listen to the voices of the country's trade unions and the millions of workers who have responded to their calls as the present developments could no doubt have international repercussions. We can only expect that OECD and ILO member countries who have proved patient with Korea's repeated pledges on the labour issues will now legitimately question the seriousness of the government=BBs commitment and have the feeling, like Korean workers, of having been fooled", Bill Jordan said.

Both the ICFTU and the Tuac have warned Korea's President Kim Young-sam against resorting to repression as a means of responding to legitimate workers=BB concern and urged him not to sign the bill adopted by Parliament in the absence of opposition members.

"There is only one way to stop the present strikes: the bill should be repealed and meaningful discussions and negotiations with the labour movement should be opened as a matter if urgency," the international trade unions say.

The Brussels-based ICFTU groups 195 national trade union centres in 136 countries representing 124 million workers world-wide. The Tuac, which has consultative status with the OECD, represents 67 million workers in 47 affiliated organisation from the OECD countries. For details contact ICFTU Press at ++322 224 02 12. Other OnLine news on Poptel Bulletin Board ICFTU-Online for geonet users and on the WWW at:http://www.icftu.org