The Minister of Employment and Labor called for an end to the nationwide strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Friday, blasting the industrial action as politically motivated.
Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik held an emergency meeting Friday morning to counter a nationwide strike by the KCTU and pointed out that some of the union demands do not fit the legal requirement that they should relate to working conditions.
"The Labor Union Act allows workers to engage in struggles for the purpose of maintaining and improving working conditions, but (the KCTU's general strike) requires matters unrelated to the improvement of working conditions, such as the resignation of the Yoon Suk Yeol regime, suspension of union oppression, and prevention of Fukushima water discharge. The KCTU has proved that their strike is a political act," said Lee.
In particular, he said Hyundai Motor's labor union had gone on an illegal strike, ignoring due process, stressing that the union had not asked the National Labor Relations Commission to allow them to exercise their right to strike. Under the current law, only strikes that have secured this permission are considered legitimate.
The metal workers' union and construction workers’ union will launch a general strike Wednesday, followed by the strike of the medical workers' union and the teachers’ union on Thursday.
“The government will clearly hold (unions) responsible for illegal activities without any tolerance,” said Lee urging the municipal governments to stop workers from participating in strikes for political purposes.
