and Major Industry Groups: "Labor Unions' General Strike is Collective Selfishness... Must Stop Immediately"

Participation of 30 Major Industry Groups
"Hwamyul Solidarity Must Return to Transportation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Korea Employers Federation and major industry organizations have issued a joint statement regarding the labor sector's general strike. They emphasized that the labor sector's general strike is "an act of collective selfishness and must be stopped immediately."

On the afternoon of the 25th, the Korea Employers Federation and major industry organizations held a joint press conference at the Korea Employers Federation building. The joint statement included participation from 30 major industry organizations, including the Korea Cement Association, Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, Korea Iron & Steel Association, and Korea Shipping Association, which are expected to suffer significant damage from the labor sector's general strike.

Lee Dong-geun, the full-time vice chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, who announced the joint statement, stressed, "In the midst of a severe economic crisis, the labor sector's general strike is an act of collective selfishness that ignores the nationwide efforts to overcome the crisis and must be stopped immediately." He also called for the immediate cessation of the Cargo Solidarity Union's collective transport refusal and a return to transportation, urging the government to mobilize all means to normalize logistics.

Furthermore, they urged the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to immediately withdraw its strike plans that have a huge impact on the national economy and citizens' lives, such as those involving subways and railroads, and to participate in efforts for innovation in the public sector.

They also pointed out that the major demands of public sector unions, such as those in subways and railroads, including the "withdrawal of public institution innovation guidelines," are essentially "political strikes" related to government policies or legislation, and that these illegal strikes lack legitimate purpose.

Vice Chairman Lee emphasized, "The labor sector must stop demands and struggles for amendments to the Labor Union Act that undermine the market economy order and labor-management relations, and the government must respond swiftly and strictly according to law and principles to illegal acts by the labor sector to restore the rule of law in industrial sites."

They also expressed concerns that the labor sector's demands to amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act do not align with the principles of market economy order and labor-management relations, will increase illegal dispute activities, and turn industrial sites into arenas of labor-management conflict. They urged the government to respond strictly according to law and principles to any illegal acts occurring during this strike to restore the rule of law in industrial sites.