By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Unionists of the Ministry of Environment, Wednesday, withdrew from the Korean Government Employees' Union and its umbrella union ― the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
The move is expected to cause an "exodus" of other public officials' unions, which have been under constant suppression and warnings from their employers. Authorities said those joining the collective action of the umbrella unions would be prosecuted.
According to the ministry, 684 out of 821 people who participated in the vote, or 83.3 percent, wanted to withdraw their names from membership in the hawkish KCTU. "We will focus on improving workers' welfare and rights while keeping political neutrality," a leader of the environmental ministry's union said. He said his union was willing to join hands with other civil servants unions that leave the KCTU.
Similar votes are scheduled at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service; and the National Statistical Office throughout the week, with a total of 6,000 expected participants. If they decide to leave the KGEU, it could be a major shake up for the group, which is planning to select new leadership next week.
The withdrawal is a huge blow to the KCTU, which is planning a general strike to protest against the government's attempt to implement a labor law that would abolish the payment of wages to full-time unionists by employers and allow only one negotiation channel for unions at workplaces.
The KCTU and its dovish partner the Federation of Korean Trade Unions are in six-party talks with representatives from the labor ministry and business leaders until Nov. 25. While the administrators and businessmen are poised to push the law into effect, the labor groups are asking to scrap it.
Lim Sung-kyu, head of the KCTU, recently said that the group would drop the talks should authorities continue to "threaten" its workers.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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