Democratic Labor Union Declares All-Out Struggle in Labor Law Amendment Discussions: "Stop Labor Deterioration"

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) announced on the 19th that it defines the revised Labor Union Act, which reflects the demands of the management sector, as a "labor regression" and will launch a full-scale struggle if the related bills are discussed in the National Assembly.

[Asia Economy reporters Donghoon Jeong and intern Suhwan Kim] The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the 19th defined the proposed amendments to the Labor Union Act, which reflect the demands of the management sector, as a "labor regression" and announced that it will launch a full-scale struggle if the related bills are discussed in the National Assembly.

On the same day, the KCTU held a press conference at its office in Jung-gu, Seoul, regarding the labor law amendment bill currently under discussion in the National Assembly, stating, "If it is a regression, it is a struggle, and we will block the labor regression through the highest-level strike struggle," and emphasized, "We will oppose the labor regression and create greater solidarity with civil society that is contemplating a new society and fight together."

They added, "Based on this, we will stop the incoming labor regression and achieve the 'Jeon Tae-il 3 Laws' that we created and proposed."

The KCTU's 'all-out struggle' is expected to be carried out in earnest from mid-this month. The KCTU plans to hold a joint press conference in front of the National Assembly on the 21st in solidarity with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), and hold a general strike and all-out struggle rally on the 24th. Furthermore, in early next month, they plan to declare joint action and begin a sit-in at the National Assembly starting from the 4th of the same month.

Kim Jae-ha, the emergency committee chairman of the KCTU, condemned, "The government's legislative proposal to amend the labor law has nothing to do with the ratification of the ILO (International Labour Organization) and rather submitted a bill that directly violates the ratification to the National Assembly," and demanded, "We demand the immediate withdrawal of the current government's legislative proposal, which contains more serious content than any other."

In July, the government submitted a bill to amend the Labor Union Act to the National Assembly along with the ratification of the ILO core conventions. The bill includes some of the management sector's demands, such as extending the validity period of collective agreements from the current two years to three years and prohibiting strike actions that involve occupying major facilities within workplaces. It also includes provisions allowing dismissed and unemployed workers to join unions, which had been demanded by the labor sector.

In response, the KCTU is opposing the bill, stating that it directly violates the ILO core conventions. The KCTU urged, "The labor regression bill that was discarded in the 20th National Assembly has been reintroduced without a single change," and "The Democratic Party of Korea and influential politicians must clarify their positions on the government-proposed legislation." Additionally, the KCTU plans to fight for the enactment of the 'Jeon Tae-il 3 Laws,' which include applying the Labor Standards Act fully to workplaces with fewer than five employees and punishing employers such as management officials and primary contractors for worker fatalities.

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