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History of Labor Movement in Korea

History of Labor Movement in Korea. Kim Keumsoo Honorable Chairperson of Korea Labor & Society Institute (KLSI). Formation of wage workers. Commodity- money economy started in 17 th and 18 th centuries Employed labor started in state and private sectors The embryo of capitalism

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History of Labor Movement in Korea

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  1. History of Labor Movement in Korea Kim Keumsoo Honorable Chairperson of Korea Labor & Society Institute (KLSI)

  2. Formation of wage workers • Commodity-money economy started in 17th and 18th centuries • Employed labor started in state and private sectors • The embryo of capitalism • Peasant revolts and revolution • The Ganghwado Agreement with Japan in 1876 • Worker organizations organized in mining, seaport and transport sectors • The first labor union in Korea: in May 1898 Sungjin Bonjung Dockers Union • Workers struggle in mining, dock, railway sectors

  3. Colonization by Japan(1910-1945) • Japan colonized Korea in 1910 (actually a protectorate in 1905). • Colony economy: “reform” of land, currency, finance, banking system. • World War 1 (1914-1918), Socialist Revolution in Russia in 1917 • The March 1st Movement (popular uprising): 7000 peoples killed • Workers joined the uprising, and staged strike and collective actions.

  4. 1920s • Growth of Working class in industrialization. • Strike in Busan dock (1921), Gyeongsung Rubber factory strike (1923), Yeongheung strike (1928), Wonsan General Strike (1929). • Workers organizations established at national level: • Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1920) aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and employment agency.

  5. Workers organizations established at national level in 1920s • Korean Laborers Mutual Aid Association (1920) aiming at mutual aid, awareness raising, and employment agency. • Korean Labor Federation (1922) aiming at new society and class unity • General Federation of Laborers and Farmers (1924) aiming at the emancipation of workers and farmers, struggle against capitalists • General Federation of Labour (1927): • The Shanghai Provisional Government (1919) • Communist Party of Korea (1925) • Shinganhoe (popular front) (1927)

  6. 1930s • The Great Depression in USA • Monopoly capitalism developed in Japan. • Industrial workers increased in Korea: 101,943 in 1930; 188,250 in 1936; 520,027 in 1942 • Militarism, excessive exploitation, oppression over labor movement • Violent and revolutionary labor movement: social revolution, underground activity, link with communist party. • Sit-in struggle, demonstration, sabotage, escape from factory. • Armed struggle for national liberation

  7. 1945-1950 • US army occupied South Korea, while Soviet occupied North Korea • Unemployment, high consumer price, lack of life essentials • Anti-communism and cold war policy by US army • In November 1945 Korea National Council of Trtade Unions(KNCTU: Chunpyong) was established with 505 delegates; 16 industrial unions, 1,194 workplace-level locals, 500,000 members aiming at full independence, popular front government in pursuit of progressive democracy, cooperation with national capitalists • In March 1946 Korean Labour Federation for Independence Promotion (KLFIP: Daehan Nochong) was established with 48 delegates; 15 unions based on right-wing movement aiming at cooperation between management and union, • Political strike of KNCTU: the September General Strike (1946),the March General Strike (1947), the February 7 Strike (1948), the May 8 Strike (1948)

  8. 1950-1960 • The Korean war (1950-1953) • Pro-US and anti-communist government: President Rhee Sungman (1948-1960), • Failure of land reform, US-aid economy, the formation of monopoly capitals. • Labor laws were made in 1953: the Trade Union Act , the Labor Dispute Act, the Labor Relations Commission Act, the Labor Standards Act. • KLFIP was only accepted by Rhee government • The Rhee Sungman government was down with the April revolution in 1960.

  9. 1961-1970 • Military coup in May 1961 led by General Park Junghee (1961-1979). • The Authoritarian regime: • 5-year economic plan • High economic growth, wide income gap • Student movement was activated • Oppression on labor movement: ban of union’s political activity, ban of multi-union, complication of legal procedure concerning labor dispute, government intervention, • Political crisis

  10. 1961-1970 • “Reorganization” of labor movement into the Federation of Korean Trade Union (FKTU) by military government. • Forced establishment of industrial unions: union structure based on industry, but union activity confined to company level. • economic struggles were active. • Extra-Ordinary Law on Trade Unions and Labor Disputes Adjustment for Foreign Invested Companies (1970) • Trade union movement gave up political struggle and legal/institutional reform

  11. 1971-1979 • Military dictatorship • Export-first economy, heavy industry, Foreign Direct Investment • The Special Law on National Security • Oppression on labor movement • Student movement, popular and workers movement grew. • Wage workers increased: 3.78 million in 1970, 6.52 million in 1979 • Low wage, long working hours, industrial accidents • President Park Junghee was killed by KCIA chief in October 1979.

  12. Labor movement in 1970s • “Bread and better” unionism of FKTU • Increased union members (470,000 in 1970; 1,100,000 in 1979) • Extreme struggle: self-burning of Jeon Taeil in 1970 • Spontaneous struggles: riot by Hyundai Shipbuilding workers, riot by Hyundai construction workers • Strike increased (133 strikes in 1975, 110 ones in 1976, 96 strikes in 1977, 102 strikes in 1978, 105 strikes in 1979) demanding for wage increase, the right to organize, union democratization • Intellectual and religious communities supported labor movement. • Making of democratic unions (Wonpung Woolen, Chunggye Clothes, Dongil textile, Contral Data, YH Trade)

  13. 1980-1986 • The second military coup by military Jeon Doohwan (1980-1987). • The Gwangju Popular Uprising in May 1980 • Union “purification” policy • Democratic unions were destroyed. • Change of labor laws: ban on multi-unionism, enforcement of company unionism, ban on the “third party” intervention, wage control. • Government task force team on labor unions • Labor disputes increased, worker struggle for union democratization • Union membership increased (850,000 in 1981; 1,300,000 in 1987) • Strikes increased: 186 in 1981, 88 in 1982, 98 in 1983, 113 in 1984, 265 in 1985, 259 in 1986 • Spontaneous, but non-legal struggle: labor disputes in 1980, taxi workers strike in 1984, Daewoo Motor strike in 1984, Guro district strike in1985. • Combination between intellectual movement and labor movement • Solidarity struggle among different company unions

  14. The Great 1987 Workers Struggle • Turning point of Korean labor movement • The results and achievements of labor movements in 1960s (embryo), 1970s (beginning) and 1980s (growth). • 3,749 collective actions in 1987; 1,873 strikes in 1988; 1,319 strikes in 1989. most of the strikes were non-legal or illegal, ignoring the legal procedure. • Members-led strike. Half of the strikes were staged in non-unionized factories. • Workers Uprising rather than industrial disputes. • The biggest scale of workers struggle in Korean history. • The Beginning of working class movement as political forces

  15. 1988-1990s • Internationally, collapse of socialist bloc • Nationally, conservative politics: military general-turned president Roh Taewoo (1988-1992), merger among the right-wing ruling party and 2 opposition parties. • The first civilian president (1993-1997) failed to implement the reform of social and economic policies. • Change of two Koreas’ relationship • Structural change of Korean economy • Market opening: entry to OECD and WTO, absorbed into the Globalization. • Economic crisis: IMF-control regime in 1997

  16. 1988-1990s • Oppression on labor movement • Failure of labor law reform (1988-1990) and change of labor laws • Aggressive labor policy by government (relaxation of the dismissal requirements, “no work no pay” principle, exclusive personnel and managerial rights, the government investigation on union business. • Neoliberal policy: deregulation on capital, flexibility of labor market, government strategy of labor control, market opening. • New Management Strategy: downsizing, flexibility, performance-based wage system, workplace control, spread of “company culture”. • The General Strike of 1996 December • The election of liberal governments: Kim Daejung government (1998-2002) and Roh Moohyun government (2003-2007). • The two liberal governments had failed to achieve the substantial reforms, but resulted in strengthening the neo-liberal regime. • Lee Myungbak government (2008 – present): anti-union, anti-labor, anti-North Korea, attack on democracy and freedom, dependency on USA

  17. 1988-1990s • Rapid development of union organizations: 2,675 unions with 1 million members in 1986; 7,880 unions with 1.8 million members in 1989, but slowdown since 1990. • Expansion of unionized sectors: teachers, white-collar, professionals and technicians, services • Uplift of labor disputes: 176 in 1986, 3749 in 1987, 1873 in 1988, 1616 in 1989, 322 in 1990, 243 in 1991, 235 in 1992, 124 in 1993, 125 in 1994, 88 in 1995, 74in 1996. • Growth of struggle capacity: drastic improvement of wage and working conditions, reinstatement of dismissed workers, democratization of workplace, union right to personnel and managerial matters, job security, social reform • Development of struggle form: sporadic and isolated struggle → coordinated and organized struggle; company-level struggle → regional/industrial/national struggle • Determined struggle: fact-to-face confrontation with state power (the nation-wide political general strike of 1996/1887)

  18. Growth of labor movement • A new confederation based on democratic unions, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) was established in November 1995. • KCTU declared: the equal society, rejection of labor-management “collaborationism”, active struggle with general capital, national reconciliation between two Koreas, construction of industrial unionism, making of working class as a political forces (construction of workers party). • FKTU deleted anti-communism in its constitution and declared the trade unionism of democratic and welfare society. • Democratic Labor Party was established in 2000 in the initiative of KCTU and got 10 seats in the National Assembly in 2004 general elections.

  19. Current situation and tasks of labor movement in Korea • 4689 unions with 1.64 million members (male: 1.29 million, female: 354,369) as of 2009. • Organizational form of trade unions: 4,354 unions are based on company-level, 228 regional/occupational unions, 62 industrial unions, 43 industrial federations, 2 confederations (national center) • FKTU: 2,513 unions with 740,335members • KCTU: 553 unions with 588,394members • Independent/neutral unions: 1,623 unions with 311,605 members • 29.4% of FKTU members belong to industrial unions; 79.1% of KCTU members belong to industrial unions • Union density: 10.1% • 121 strikes in 2009

  20. Ideology and Politics • Movement ideology: • FKTU: Social Reform Unionism • KCTU: Social Revolution Unionism • Political strategy: • FKTU: had alliance with the right-wing ruling party, now has broken up with the party, not clear direction. • KCTU: has supported the progressive parties such as the Democratic Labor Party and the New Progressive Party, demanding to two parties to be merged.

  21. Tasks • Organizational task: expansion of union organizations, consolidation of industrial unionism. • Struggle task: struggle to reform government policy and institutions • Political task: increase of progressive party members among union members and construction of a new united progressive party by political education, political propaganda, and political activity. • Strategy task:making of a new strategy for the future of labor movement • Self-reform task: restoration of the “authoritativeness” of labor movement, self-innovation, restoration of the self-respect of workers

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