Global trade unions blast Korea for baffling democracy
(For more information please contact ICFTU Press Officer Luc
Demaret at ++32 10 40 20 05 (Belgium) or ++32 2 224 02 12.)
Brussels, December 28 1996 (ICFTU OnLine):International trade
union organisations have accused the South Korean government of
renewing methods used by past military dictatorships by rushing
an anti-worker bill through parliament and threatening striking
workers with reprisals. They are asking President Kim Young-sam
not to sign this undemocratic bill and instead to ensure that
Korea fully abides by its commitment to both the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN's
International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions (ICFTU) has called on unions world-wide to support action
by its two Korean affiliates, the Federation of Korean Trade
Unions (FKTU) and the still outlawed Korean Confederation of
Trade Unions (KCTU) in the face of "dirty trick" manoeuvres by
the Korean government.
Both the KCTU and the FKTU are organising strikes to protest at
the new law which allows 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 a complaint formally lodged today with the UN's International
Labour Organisation (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+s
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+ 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 or ++3210 40
20 05.
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