Two Out of Three Office Workers Say "Labor Unions Are Necessary... Should Focus on Job Security"

Recognized as an Institutional Mechanism to Confront Structural Inequality

A recent survey found that two out of three office workers believe labor unions are necessary.

A participant is holding a placard at the 2017 "National Workers' Rally" hosted by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Photo by Dongju Yoon

On May 4, Workplace Gapjil 119 announced the results of a survey it commissioned from the polling agency Global Research. In February, 1,000 office workers were surveyed, and 66.4% of respondents answered that "a labor union is necessary." Among union members, the proportion who answered that "a labor union is necessary" reached 85.1%.

Respondents identified "job security and the regularization of non-regular workers" (32.9%) as the most important issue that unions should focus on. This was followed by ▲ wage increases, including the minimum wage (21.4%) ▲ solidarity with socially disadvantaged groups (14.1%) ▲ resolving unfair transactions between contractors and subcontractors (13.8%) ▲ monitoring and criticizing those in power (13.5%).

Workplace Gapjil 119 stated, "Two out of three office workers responded that labor unions are necessary. This is because they already recognize that labor unions are an important institutional mechanism that enables workers to fight against structural inequalities that individuals cannot handle alone." The organization added, "In particular, to address structural issues in society such as the gap in working conditions between large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, between contractors and subcontractors, and between regular and non-regular workers, it is necessary to fully and broadly guarantee the three basic labor rights so that workers in small businesses, subcontractors, and non-regular positions can directly voice their concerns."

Kwon Dooseop, an attorney at Workplace Gapjil 119, emphasized, "The new government must institutionalize sectoral collective bargaining, which guarantees the union activity rights of non-regular workers such as freelancers, and prioritize the expansion of the effectiveness of collective agreements, as well as the passage of the Yellow Envelope Act (the amendment to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act)."