On the occasion of the global day of action in defense of the right to strike, the FKTU and the KCTU held a joint press briefing downtown Seoul on 16 Feb.
The Korean trade union movement called for the government of Korea :
- To respect the right to strike for all workers in line with the principle of freedom of association ;
- To rectify unreasonable laws/institutions and practices which render the three basic labour rights enshrined in the Constitution null and void ;
- To abolish the essential minimum services system without delay which virtually nullifies the right to strike in the essential public services ;
- To stop compensation suits and provisional seizures which have driven striking workers into death ;
- To stop penalizing workers for collective action with the ’obstruction of business’ ;
- To fully ensure fundamental workers’ rights of indirectly employed workers including temporary agency workers and sub-contracting workers as well as workers in special employment arrangements ;
- To recognize the right to collective action for teachers and government employees ;
- To play an active role in settling the international dispute on the right to strike and fulfill its responsibility as a titular member of the ILO governing body.
The two national centers also urged Korean employers to recognize the right to strike as an international norm and a fundamental workers’ right without colluding with the international employers’ group which has undermined the very existence of the ILO by denying the right to strike.
In a separate event, ahead of the day of action, KCTU delegates expressed their anger at violations of the right to strike in Korea at its 61st National Congress which was held on 12 Feb
