Anger Over Bloody Crackdown on High-Altitude Sit-in
"Dialogue with Government That Has Pre-Determined Answers Is Meaningless"
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) declared on the 7th that it will completely withdraw from participation in the Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), escalating the confrontation between labor and government to a crisis point.
This is the first time in 7 years and 5 months since the Park Geun-hye administration that the FKTU has announced its suspension of participation in the ESLC.
Unlike the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which has not participated in the ESLC for about 20 years since the 1999 Tripartite Commission, the FKTU has effectively represented the labor sector and maintained dialogue with the government.
However, conflicts between the labor sector and the government over the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s top priority, 'labor reform,' have continued, and recently, a bloody incident occurred during the police’s forced suppression of the Metal Workers’ Union, leading to the decision to suspend dialogue.
Kim Dong-myeong, Chairman of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, is speaking at an emergency Central Executive Committee meeting held on the afternoon of the 7th at the Korean Federation of Trade Unions Jeonnam Gwangyang Regional Branch meeting room in Jung-dong, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 7th, the FKTU held its 100th emergency central executive committee meeting at the FKTU Jeonnam Gwangyang regional branch meeting room and decided not to participate in social dialogue through the ESLC. Whether to withdraw from the ESLC was delegated to the executive team, including Chairman Kim Dong-myeong.
The decisive trigger for the FKTU’s decision to suspend dialogue was the police’s bloody suppression of Kim Jun-young, Secretary General of the Metal Workers’ Union under the FKTU, last month.
Ryu Ki-seop, Secretary General of the FKTU, said in an interview with CBS Radio on the 8th, "Seeing such a bloody suppression just one day after a high-altitude sit-in, I seriously question whether (the government) truly recognizes (workers) as partners for dialogue," adding, "It seems they view them not as dialogue partners but as entities to be subdued."
Secretary General Ryu pointed out that the resignation of Kim Moon-soo, chairman of the ESLC, is a minor issue, and the important matter is the attitude toward dialogue, saying, "The government has continuously set specific answers in advance and then asked to have a dialogue."
He continued, "The tripartite parties should sit down and seriously discuss the issues, but the government throws out answers first and demands 'submit' or 'accept'?such a form of dialogue is meaningless."
Lee Ji-hyun, spokesperson for the FKTU, said in an interview with SBS Radio, "(The government) has shown a very hostile stance toward the FKTU," and claimed, "The government has held talks with other third-party MZ unions without dialogue with the two major unions, the FKTU and KCTU, portraying existing union members as vested interests."
She added, "Nevertheless, the FKTU valued social dialogue and did not declare a suspension of talks, but the bloody incident is absolutely unacceptable," emphasizing, "Unless the Yoon Suk-yeol administration changes this stance, social dialogue with the FKTU is meaningless."
Regarding the resumption of dialogue, Secretary General Ryu said, "As Secretary General, my position has not changed at all," and warned that if the attitude of not recognizing unions as dialogue partners continues, "not only withdrawal from the ESLC but even more severe measures will be decided."
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