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The conservative (or rather reactionary!!) daily newspaper JoongAng Ilbo and the "left"-liberal Hankyoreh published today pieces on the current situation in the KCTU...

Editorial by JoongAng Ilbo:

Chaos within KCTU

The labor union of Ssangyong Motors has confirmed its intent to leave the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the second largest umbrella trade union in the country.

An overwhelming majority of the company’s workers voted for a resolution yesterday to withdraw from the national trade organization.

In the process, the union became the first of Korea’s automobile unions to officially vow to sever relations with the powerful KCTU.

Industrial trade unions have shown some signs of pending collapse in recent years, and this is the latest example of that trend.

There’s a primary reason behind it: The KCTU has focused its efforts on waging a political war rather than promoting the protection of workers’ rights and interests.

So the erosion of the organization’s member base should be expected, as union members don’t feel that their needs are being met.

At the same time, it is extremely deplorable that the KCTU is bullying members that are poised to withdraw from the organization, hoping to coerce them into staying. Along these lines, the umbrella trade union is resorting to immature actions, such as threatening to impose disciplinary measures on unions and members considering a defection.

The KCTU should ponder the essence of the problem - its own actions, rather than that of its members - before browbeating other labor unions. The current crisis facing the umbrella trade union derives from the fact that it is stocked with leaders who espouse left-leaning political ideologies.

If the organization continues to ignore this rapidly growing crisis and continues to overlook changes in public opinion, it will certainly lead to self-destruction.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2909835

Editorial by Hankyoreh:

Heeding potential death knell for labor movement

The Ssangyong Motors labor union convened a general assembly meeting yesterday and voted to leave the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). This vote comes just one month after a compromise was struck between union and management, and follows a fierce battle waged over mass layoffs. First, we must guard against focusing on the hard line of the KCTU during the Ssangyong Motors strike, for it would only serve to highlight labor’s problems while obscuring mistakes made by the company and government, which cannot avoid taking responsibility for driving the Ssangyong strike to an extreme. If fault is found with the union’s hard-line, then criticism for the company’s and government’s refusal to compromise must also follow.

Although labor and management previously worked together to save the company through their dramatic compromise, since the strike, the situation has taken a completely different direction. Just two days after the compromise, 94 unionists who participated in the strike were laid off or given vacation notices. It has been said that union leaders are being blocked from entering the factory. Yesterday’s general assembly took place with the union leadership in virtual collapse. With the existing union leadership raising procedural issues concerning the vote, controversy surrounding the validity of the decision is expected.

Still, to overlook the importance of this decision that had the support of many unionists would be a mistake. We must seriously consider the significance of their decision. The leaders of the general assembly claim the only way to save Ssangyong Motors is to leave the KCTU. They believe Ssangyong Motors has been caught in a political struggle led by the KCTU and Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU).

Criticisms have also been voiced towards KCTU and Korean Metal Workers’ Union for completely different reasons. Criticism that the umbrella unions failed to help resolve the situation or properly support the workers’ struggle is being heard among those who actively participated in the Ssangyong strike or supported it. In addition, there is also criticism that the umbrella union has been on the sidelines as a spectator since the end of the strike. The background stories and reasons may differ, but the criticisms are all similar in their reflection of distrust of the umbrella union.

Accordingly, labor leadership should seriously reflect upon why it is on the receiving end of distrust and criticism from unionists who participate in the labor struggle. Of course, the umbrella union must consider not only the issues of individual workplaces, but also issues being raised throughout the labor sector. Since labor issues closely relate to politics and the economy, a political response is also required. The basis of the labor movement lies in the trust and support of unionists. Labor must ruminate over the fact that a labor movement marked by distrust from laborers is as good as dead.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/375764.html