[Affiliates News]Korea Construction Workers’ Union announces struggle against the labor union oppression of the government

Ministry of Labor cancelled the certificate of union establishment report of KCWU

President of the Korea Construction Workers’ Union (KCWU) Kim Geum-cheol staged a press conference on March 9 to announce a strong protest against the government that takes oppressive policies on labor unions and denies them the right to unite.

The KCWU has acted as a legal entity for more than three years after it received a trade union certificate from the Labor Ministry. To date, the union has even officially discussed several issues with the government. The union has also been subject to the Trade Unions and Labor Relations Adjustment Act and the arbitration of the Labor Relations Commission and Labor Ministry. In addition, collective agreements with construction companies have been, and are now being, concluded in countless construction sites across the country.

However, the government has questioned the membership of dump truck, ready-mixed concrete truck and excavator drivers since last year. Eventually, the government declined to consider Kim Guem-cheol as a legitimate representative for the union, who was directly elected president by some 20,000 union members. With these measures, the government has made union registration system run on a de-facto permission basis, which constitutes a serious political threat to trade unions by infringing on union’s right to unite. Along with the KCWU, the Transport Workers’ Union has suffered repression. Moreover, the KGEU has been denied of registration three times and anti-democratic government policies have wiped out people’s basic rights throughout the society. These incidents clearly show the true intention of the government’s anti-labor measures.

The KCWU has already started to prepare for a general strike scheduled in late April. We will hold union representatives’ meeting in March and its officials will unfold various campaigns. By doing so, we will win the rights we deserve.         

Worker’s Vigil Sit-in Enters 136^th day

Union members in a company named Samwhan continue their long-standing sit-in against the employer, who has been mad about dismantling the trade union. To weaken the union, management has suspended wage payment since last year and even pressed some union members to withdraw from the organization. To protest against these activities, the trade union went on a five-day strike last year. The union officials filed a lawsuit for employer’s illegal labor activities and posed a vigil sit-in, which now entered 136^th day. The trade union President Hong Sun-gwan said, “We cannot be defeated. Unless the employer changes its anti-labor union stance, we will not stop fighting.” ■