[These Days Newcomers] ④ Winds of Change in Labor Unions... Emphasizing Work-Life Balance and Fairness

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The two major labor unions are bringing winds of change to South Korea's labor union culture, which was traditionally centered on manufacturing. This shift began as office workers in their 20s and 30s started establishing independent unions to voice their concerns. Dull group vests, red headbands, labor songs, strikes, and struggles have become things of the past for them. Unions composed of younger generations freely express their opinions through SNS and make horizontal and transparent decisions.

◆ The first labor union in Korea established in 1898 = The first labor union in Korea is known to be the Seongjin Bonjeom Government Wharf Union (城津本町埠頭組合), organized by 46 transport workers in May 1898. After liberation in 1945, the formation of labor unions, which had been banned by the Japanese colonial government, became active, and numerous unions were established across the country. The Korea Federation of Trade Unions' predecessor, the Korean Independence Promotion Labor Federation (대한노총), was also formed during this period.

Labor movements, which were banned during military rule, reached a turning point with the 'Great Workers' Struggle' following the June Struggle of 1987. The struggle initiated by Hyundai Group manufacturing workers spread nationwide, resulting in over 3,000 strikes and sit-ins. The government amended labor laws to ease union establishment requirements through consultations with labor and management organizations such as the Korea Federation of Trade Unions and the Korea Employers Federation. In January 1990, the National Council of Trade Unions (전노협) was launched and reconstituted as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 1995. While unions exercised strong bargaining power leading to rapid improvements in wages and working conditions, economic losses due to indiscriminate strikes were also significant. The Korea Labor Institute reported, "Although large-scale labor disputes decreased in the 1990s, the number of disputes and lost workdays due to industrial restructuring have still frequently occurred since 1998."

◆ Work-life balance over wage struggles = Since the allowance of multiple unions at the workplace level in 2011, signs of change have appeared in the dominance of the two major labor unions. Recently, young office workers in their 20s and 30s affiliated with large corporations have become the main force in union formation, significantly changing the atmosphere. This reflects the rapid shift in the industrial environment from manufacturing to knowledge work and technology development. Unions created by the MZ generation use terms like 'people-centered' and 'respect for talent' in their names and exchange opinions freely and horizontally. While traditional unions engaged in political struggles alongside wage increases, young office worker unions emphasize practicality, work-life balance, and procedural fairness.

Professor Song Tae-su of the Korea Employment and Labor Research Institute said, "This phenomenon shows the emergence of new demands from the MZ generation centered in large corporations," adding, "It also indicates that the activities of the existing two major unions have not actively reflected the demands of the MZ generation." He continued, "Efforts will be needed to establish channels to convey the demands of not only young people in large corporations but also MZ generation workers in small and medium-sized enterprises and non-regular workers and to gain their support."

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