KCTU and FKTU "ILO Core Conventions Must Be Ratified Immediately"

The leadership and members of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions held a press conference on the 30th of last month in front of the Blue House fountain in Seoul, opposing the government's amendment to the Trade Union Act and urging the ratification of the ILO core conventions. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) urged the National Assembly and the government on the 7th to immediately ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) core conventions and to scrap the government's proposed amendments to the Trade Union Act.

On the same day, the two major trade unions held a joint press conference in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "Ratification of the ILO core conventions has not progressed a single step forward even as the regular session of the National Assembly is coming to an end," and added, "The National Assembly must immediately ratify the ILO core conventions without any conditions or compromises and without delay."

Regarding the government's proposed amendments to the Trade Union Act submitted to the National Assembly along with the ratification of the ILO core conventions, they argued, "The government's approach, which claims to supplement by restricting union activities on the grounds of employers' counter-rights instead of expanding freedom of association, must be immediately scrapped."

The government has submitted to the National Assembly the ratification bills for three ILO core conventions aimed at strengthening labor rights, along with related amendments to the Trade Union Act and other laws. The amendments to the Trade Union Act include expanding freedom of association by allowing unemployed and dismissed workers to join unions in accordance with ILO core convention standards, but they have sparked opposition from labor groups as they reflect management demands such as prohibiting workplace occupation during strikes and extending the validity period of collective agreements.

The two major trade unions emphasized, "According to the ILO Charter and conventions, ratification of conventions should not serve as an opportunity to regress current laws and systems, nor should domestic laws be applied in a way that infringes on the rights guaranteed by the conventions."

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