Militant Labor Movement

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/01/137_17197.html

It seems President-elect Lee Myung-bak and the labor sector are engaged in a war of nerves ahead of the inauguration of the next government. Lee has had a series of meetings with business organizations including the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), the mouthpiece of the nation's major conglomerates or chaebol. But he has not met with leaders of labor bodies since winning the presidential election in December.

Apparently angered by Lee's seeming slight, the leader of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) threatened to stage massive general strikes that would drastically lower national credit. He indicated he would use hard-line tactics such as cutting off the supply of gas and electricity. ``A total of 980 activists were jailed under the governments of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. And we will carry out the struggle at the risk of 9,800 people being put behind bars under the incoming Lee Myung-bak government,'' he said. He also threatened to send a delegation to the meeting of world leaders in Tokyo in June to strengthen solidarity with foreign labor activists.

It is very disappointing for the nation's largest labor body to declare such an extreme stance. The economy will face series setbacks should the national credit fall and the so-called ``Korea discount'' phenomenon intensify, due to possible militant labor action. A sluggish economy will also negatively affect the livelihood of unionized workers. It is tantamount to declaring an anti-government struggle.

The business-friendly policies are not against unionists' interests as they are designed to promote investment, creation of jobs, and raise growth rates. Foreign companies have been viewing the belligerent labor organizations as the major barriers to investing in Korea. The KCTU is advised to learn lesson from the humiliating defeat of the progressive Democratic Labor Party in the presidential election in December and the drastic decrease in members of the nationwide Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union. Resorting to an outmoded method of struggle will only deepen people's distrust of unions. Should they resort to extreme means in the future, the people would not acknowledge them any longer.

We don't support the next government's possible policies of neglecting the labor sector. The Moderate Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) complained that the next government has been giving too slight a weight to labor issues while pushing for a package of business-friendly policies. We believe President-elect Lee needs to pay heed to the voices of the labor organizations and attempt to resolve all pending issues through dialogue and compromise. For this, frequent contact is needed so that the relevant concerns can deepen mutual understanding and meet half way without having to depend on unilateral action.