A
press conference was held this morning at the State Assembly (Korean
Parliament), where Young-joo Kim, National Assembly member from the New
Politics Alliance for Democracy introduced Rosa Pavanelli, Secretary
General of PSI. She said: "This morning we open the Asia Pacific
Regional Trade Union Rights Forum: Action NOW!
In the Asia Pacific region, trade union rights are violated by outright bans, revocation, limitations, flagrant misuse of the term “essential services”, intimidation, violence against public service union activists and the criminalisation of protest actions.
It is not a coincidence that we organize this regional meeting here in Seoul. In South Korea, public sector unions are being attacked from all sides through privatization, precarious work contracts, de-registration of unions, unlawful arrests and anti-strike action.
The Park Guen-hye administration is pulling all the stops to prevent workers from uniting and demanding the respect of their rights. Its policies are anti-social and anti-democratic, in contravention of human rights conventions and international labour standards and puts workers and the Korean population in danger.
Let me give you just a few examples:
• The Korean Government Employers Union (KGEU) and Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) have been deregistered in 2013 and as a result cannot negotiate for their members nor organize legal actions. The main argument of the government is that trade unions cannot defend dismissed or unemployed workers and denies their rights to trade union membership.
• Legal industrial actions, such as the 23-day strike organized by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) in December 2013 have been targeted by that same government. Over 500 officers and members of the KRWU have been slapped with criminal charges, dismissals and other disciplinary actions following the 2013 strike against privatisation. The KRWU and other public workers’ unions are being further pressured through the policy of normalisation of public institutions, which attacks working conditions, benefits and collective bargaining rights.
The government is seeking to privatize not
only transport but also healthcare, education, water, energy and other
essential public services. We can prove that privatization and
public-private parternships undermine universal access and the quality
of public services, with less accountability to the public and
government and often at a higher price.
• Despite campaign promises to strengthen basic pension benefits for the elderly, the government is now weakening the national pension system. Instead of a reform process based on democracy, transparency and social dialogue to achieve broad-based social consensus in the process of pension reform, the government is pushing through unilateral decisions.
•
Finally, The Sewol Ferry tragedy of April 16, 2014 has revealed a blind
focus on maximisation of profits through deregularisation, privatisation
and expansion of precarious work, in complete disregard for public
safety. Moreover, PSI believes the botched rescue effort reveals the
need to revise policy on fire fighters and other security related public
servants. This should include providing them with an avenue to express
organisational opinions by guaranteeing their right to freedom of
association.
Moreover, South Korea also exports its anti-union, anti-worker model. Korean multinationals are present in those countries that have the worst record in terms of workers’ rights, including in Guatemala, Bangladesh and Cambodia, where trade union leaders are being arrested, shot and killed and thousands of workers have already died due to dangerous working conditions.
PSI joins its affiliates in asking for a radical change in government policies that can foster dialogue, social justice and development, inclusion and safety for all, in respect of human and international labour rights.
Together with the ITUC, TUAC, EI, ITF and others, PSI will continue to expose and pressure the government at the ILO and OECD, with the main trade partners of South Korea – including the US and EU.
PSI is committed to stand by the struggles of its affiliates against privatization of public services and for a better future for Korea and its workers.
Advice from Sandra Vermuyten PSI Equity Officer
In the Asia Pacific region, trade union rights are violated by outright bans, revocation, limitations, flagrant misuse of the term “essential services”, intimidation, violence against public service union activists and the criminalisation of protest actions.
It is not a coincidence that we organize this regional meeting here in Seoul. In South Korea, public sector unions are being attacked from all sides through privatization, precarious work contracts, de-registration of unions, unlawful arrests and anti-strike action.
The Park Guen-hye administration is pulling all the stops to prevent workers from uniting and demanding the respect of their rights. Its policies are anti-social and anti-democratic, in contravention of human rights conventions and international labour standards and puts workers and the Korean population in danger.
Let me give you just a few examples: • The Korean Government Employers Union (KGEU) and Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) have been deregistered in 2013 and as a result cannot negotiate for their members nor organize legal actions. The main argument of the government is that trade unions cannot defend dismissed or unemployed workers and denies their rights to trade union membership.
• Legal industrial actions, such as the 23-day strike organized by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) in December 2013 have been targeted by that same government. Over 500 officers and members of the KRWU have been slapped with criminal charges, dismissals and other disciplinary actions following the 2013 strike against privatisation. The KRWU and other public workers’ unions are being further pressured through the policy of normalisation of public institutions, which attacks working conditions, benefits and collective bargaining rights.
• Despite campaign promises to strengthen basic pension benefits for the elderly, the government is now weakening the national pension system. Instead of a reform process based on democracy, transparency and social dialogue to achieve broad-based social consensus in the process of pension reform, the government is pushing through unilateral decisions.
Moreover, South Korea also exports its anti-union, anti-worker model. Korean multinationals are present in those countries that have the worst record in terms of workers’ rights, including in Guatemala, Bangladesh and Cambodia, where trade union leaders are being arrested, shot and killed and thousands of workers have already died due to dangerous working conditions.
PSI joins its affiliates in asking for a radical change in government policies that can foster dialogue, social justice and development, inclusion and safety for all, in respect of human and international labour rights.
Together with the ITUC, TUAC, EI, ITF and others, PSI will continue to expose and pressure the government at the ILO and OECD, with the main trade partners of South Korea – including the US and EU.
PSI is committed to stand by the struggles of its affiliates against privatization of public services and for a better future for Korea and its workers.
Advice from Sandra Vermuyten PSI Equity Officer
