PSI Asia Pacific holds a press conference in Seoul urging South Korean government to to stop anti-union crackdown
Mar 9, 2023
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Asia Pacific Regional Executive Committee of Public Services International (PSI APREC) commits to standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Korea in their struggle for trade union rights, for quality public services, for decent work, for democracy and a more equitable society.
Resolution of the Asia Pacific Regional Executive Committee (APREC)
South Korean government must stop anti-union crackdown on trade union rights immediately!
The Asia Pacific Regional Executive Committee of Public Services International (PSI APREC), meeting in Seoul, South Korea, on 6-7 March 2023,
IS OUTRAGED that the South Korean government is using public national institutions to violate trade union rights including the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the National Intelligence Service (NIS). This includes the criminalization of KPTU-TruckSol’s strike for the Safe Rates, the outlawry of the CBA of the Korean Construction Workers’ Union (KCWU), the government’s unjustified interference in union accounting and administrative practices, and the recent raids on the offices of KCTU, KHMU and KMWU under the guise of alleged violations of the National Security Act.
CONDEMNS the attempt to vilify trade unions as a way to reduce labour rights for hard working Koreans and distract them from austerity measures and other regressive policies favouring the rich.
RECALLS that the South Korean government’s crackdown on trade unions is a violation of the ILO’s freedom of association principles and that KCTU, KPTU, KCWU and global unions including PSI, ITF and BWI have jointly filed a complaint against the South Korean government for these violations.
CALLS ON the South Korean government, as a responsible member of the international community that ratified ILO Convention Nos. 87 and 98, to stop all forms of anti-union crackdown.
further URGES the South Korean government to guarantee trade union rights and decent work for all workers in accordance with the ILO Freedom of Association principles and Conventions Nos. 87and 98.
COMMITS to standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Korea in their struggle for trade union rights, for quality public services, for decent work, for democracy and a more equitable society.
Submitted by PSI-Korea Council (PSI-KC)
Contact: PSI-KC at [email protected] and [email protected]
Media coverage
The KyungHyang Shinmun: "The Korean government’s suppression of labor unions goes against the ‘global standard’… increase inequality" ["한국 정부 노조탄압은 ‘글로벌 스탠더드’ 역행…불평등 키울 것"]. Read full story (in Korean)
Hankyoreh: Public Sector Workers’ Organisations in 155 Countries Criticise ‘Yoon Government Beating Unions’ [155개국 공공부문 노동자 단체, ‘윤 정부 노조 때리기’ 비판]. Read full story (in Korean)
Laborplus: International workers who visited Korea “The Yoon government’s suppression of labor unions, attacking the future of the country”[한국 찾은 국제노동자들 “윤 정부 노조탄압, 국가의 미래 공격하는 일”]. Read full story (in Korean)
Labor Today [매일노동뉴스]: International Labor Movement: “The Yoon Seok-yeol government’s labor policy is not a ‘global standard’” [국제노동계:“윤석열 정부 노동정책 ‘글로벌 스탠더드’ 아니다”. Read full story (in Korean)
Hankyoreh: Public Sector Workers’ Organisations in 155 Countries Criticise ‘Yoon Government Beating Unions’
