Transcript 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 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
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.
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.
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)
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
1945-1950
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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)
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.
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
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
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.
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)
1980-1986
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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 in 1985.
Combination between intellectual movement and labor movement
Solidarity struggle among different company unions
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 nonunionized 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
1988-1990s
• Internationally, collapse of socialist bloc
• Nationally, conservative politics: military generalturned 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
1988-1990s
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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 (19982002) 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, antiNorth Korea, attack on democracy and freedom, dependency on USA
1988-1990s
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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, 74 in 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)
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 labormanagement “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.
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 740,335 members
• KCTU: 553 unions with 588,394 members
• 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
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.
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