Kim Myunghwan's Bold Move at the Delegate Conference to Ratify the 'Tripartite Agreement'

Directly Asking Cooperative Members' Opinions for Approval Decision
Last Attempt to Revive the Agreement Document
Hardliners' Backlash... Future Depends on Outcome

Kim Myung-hwan, chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), is receiving protests from KCTU irregular workers regarding the tripartite agreement while moving to attend the 11th Central Executive Committee meeting at the KCTU office in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has decided to hold an extraordinary delegate meeting to make the final decision on whether to ratify the 'Tripartite Agreement for Overcoming the COVID-19 Crisis.'

On the 3rd, the KCTU held a Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting from the afternoon of the previous day and, after an overnight discussion on whether to ratify the tripartite agreement, decided to make the final decision through an extraordinary delegate meeting. Accordingly, the KCTU will convene the delegate meeting online on the 20th and proceed with a process to directly ask the members for their opinions.

This decision was strongly influenced by Chairman Kim Myung-hwan's determination. After the CEC meeting, Chairman Kim stated, "(The delegate meeting) can be convened under the KCTU regulations by the chairman's authority," and expressed his intention to "directly ask the members for their consent on the tripartite agreement through the delegate meeting."

The delegate meeting is the decision-making body following the general assembly of members. It is composed of delegates elected at a ratio of one delegate per 500 members. The regular delegate meeting held by the KCTU in February had about 1,400 members in attendance. Since the 29th of last month, the KCTU has been holding CEC meetings to discuss ratification of the tripartite agreement, but no conclusion was reached due to opposition from hardliners within the KCTU.

This upcoming delegate meeting is seen as a de facto last attempt to revive the tripartite agreement. However, it remains uncertain whether a ratification decision will be reached due to continued opposition from hardliners. Industrial unions with large memberships and hardline stances, such as the Metal Workers' Union and the Public Transport Workers' Union, are blocking ratification, citing insufficient provisions on 'prohibition of layoffs' and 'guarantee of nationwide employment insurance.' They are also demanding Chairman Kim's resignation. Chairman Kim was even prevented from attending the scheduled signing ceremony on the 1st due to opposition from these union members.

It is reported that hardliners strongly opposed Chairman Kim's decision to convene the delegate meeting during the CEC meeting that day. The day before, the National Council of Democratic Workers (Jeongukhoe), one of the largest factions within the KCTU, also issued a statement calling for the tripartite agreement to be discarded. It is uncertain whether other entities, such as the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), will wait for the KCTU's ratification decision. Chairman Kim is expected to decide his own position depending on the fate of the tripartite agreement.

Meanwhile, as the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 increases, the KCTU decided at this CEC meeting to postpone the National Workers' Rally, which was scheduled to be attended by about 50,000 workers on the 4th. The KCTU stated, "Recently, experts have warned of the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19, and concerns about the spread of infectious diseases have increased. We judged that the lives and safety of the people must be prioritized," and added, "Considering this, we have decided to postpone the National Workers' Rally scheduled for the 4th."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.