The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) filed a complaint on the 21st with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (PCC) against Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik for abuse of authority.
On the same day, the two major labor unions held a press conference at the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, explaining the reason for the complaint by stating, "The imposition of fines related to accounting unjustly interferes with the union's operation and finances, severely infringing on their autonomy."
Earlier, on the 14th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it would impose fines on 86 unions with more than 1,000 members for violating the Labor Union Act by failing to report whether they kept and preserved financial ledgers and documents. The unions argue that this obstructs their legitimate exercise of rights.
The two major labor unions claim that Article 27 of the Labor Union Act, which stipulates that "unions must report settlement results and operational status upon government request," does not encompass the obligation to submit "financial ledgers and documents."
They argue that Article 14 of the Labor Union Act, which states that "within 30 days from the establishment of the union, the union must prepare and keep at the office the list of members, bylaws, names and addresses of executives, minutes of meetings, and financial ledgers and documents," was created to guarantee members' right to inspect.
The two major labor unions said, "Demanding submission of materials without legal basis, coupled with on-site investigations and imposing multiple fines, is illegal administration forcing unions to perform duties they are not obligated to do."
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