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Industrial Unions in Korea

Explore the evolution of Korea's industrial unions - KHMU & KMWU, their structure, members, activities, and significance in the labor movement. Discover collective bargaining, financial details, and the role within KCTU.

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Industrial Unions in Korea

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  1. Industrial Unions in Korea

  2. Korea Health & Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) bogun.nodong.org

  3. KHMU • Many hospitals were unionized in 1987 • Korean Federation of Hospital Unions (KFHU) in 1988-1998 • Over 100 hospital unions belonging to KFHU • Transformed into industrial union, KHMU in February 1998 • 140 hospital branches belonging to one union, KHMU • First industrial agreement in 2004 after 2-week industrial strike with 10,000 members

  4. KHMU • Established as federation 1988 • Transformed into industrial union in 1998 • 140 hospitals • 40,000 members • 11 regional offices • 50 full-time activists (25 persons at HQ) • 300 full-time union officers at workplace level • 8% of unionization rate (500,000 workers in healthcare sector) • Union dues: 1 % of monthly wage (around 15 USD) + solidarity fund • 50% for workplace union, 40% for HQ, 10% for regional offices • Yearly budget: USD 4 million • 5 departments: administration & finance, policy & planning, organizing, education & public relations, precarious workers, external relations

  5. Struggle coordinated and guided by KHMU

  6. KHMU press conference

  7. KHMU industrial bargaining

  8. KHMU campaign for 5-day workweek

  9. Korea Metal Workers’ Union(KMWU)

  10. KMWU • Korean Federation of Metal Trade Unions (KFMU) established in 1998 with 200,000 members, after the merger among metal union federation, auto union federation and Hyundai Group union federation. • Some company unions inside KFMU was transformed into KMWU in 2001 with 30,000 members. • Most company unions dissolved company union structure and joined KMWU in 2006, resulting in the KMWU membership with 158,000 members.

  11. KMWU • Membership decline • 153,013 members in September 2008 • 136,132 members as of November 2011 in 238 unionized companies • 135,000 members as of June 2013 • 4 sectors: • Auto: 90,000 members • Shipbuilding: 10,000 members • Steel: 10,000 members • General manufacturing: 20,000 members • 19 branches • 14 regional branches • 5 company branches

  12. KMWU Structure HQ • 4 sectors • Auto • Shipbuilding • Steel • manufacturing 14 regional branches 5 company branches 240 companies

  13. KMWU Manpower • Leadership • 1 president, first vice president, general secretary • 5 general vice presidents, 1 woman vice president • 7 departments • policy planning, external relations, public relations, education, health & safety, precarious workers, organizing • Full-timers • 90 activists are employed by KMWU • 70 leaders are dispatched from company-level unions to upper-level unions such as KMWU HQ and regional branches • 1,000 full-timers at workplace level

  14. KMWU Finance 38,000,000,000 Korea won = 35,000,000 US dollar 18% for several funds 16% at HQ level 18% at regional branch level 48% at company level 1% of normal wage

  15. Collective Bargaining • Central bargaining • KMWU HQ and metal employers association • 20,000 members are covered • KMWU and big company bargaining • Regional branch bargaining • Company-level bargaining

  16. KCTU Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

  17. KCTU • 16 regional offices • 16 industrial unions or federations • 700,000 members

  18. KCTU affiliates • Construction and building union • Public service & transport union • Civil servant union • Professor union • CAL professor union • Metal union (KMWU) • University union • General union • Healthcare union (KHMU) • Private service union • Financial and clerical union • Press union • Chemical & textile union • Information & technology union • Teachers union • Women union

  19. Importance of Union Structure • Individual worker Vs United workers • Capitalist with money and capital • Workers united at • Factory • Company • Industry • National • Global • Forms of Union Structure • Factory • Company • regional • Industry • National • Global

  20. Company unionism Industrial unionism Workers organization National union in industry Big-sized (class organization) Unified and centralized Strong bargaining power Industry/nation-wide struggle Industrial policy and social system change High consciousness and effective strategy / ideology • Employee organization • HR management unit • Small-sized and scattered • Decentralized and narrow-minded • Weak bargaining power • Limited struggle power • Poor influence over government • Poor consciousness and poor strategy

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