Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Encyclopedia
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is a national trade union centre officially established in 1995. Its predecessor was the National Council of Trade Unions (NCTU), established in 1990 as an independent alternative to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions
. With 682,418 members in 2007, the KCTU accounted for 40.6% of trade union members in South Korea. The KCTU has more than 1,200 affiliated enterprise-level trade unions. It is the second largest trade union national center in South Korea, following the Federation of Korean Trade Unions
(FKTU). On 1 April 2009, KCTU delegates at a special session elected Lim Seong-kyu as President. Of the two, the KCTU is generally considered to be the more militant.
In 2008, during massive "mad cow protests"
the KCTU declared a general strike to protest the import of US beef on grounds that consuming the allegedly tainted beef could damage worker productivity.
In 2009, the union came under intense criticism for its cover up of the attempted sexual assault of a female union member by a high ranking union leader. The KCTU's perceived militancy and preoccupation with political matters unrelated to working conditions has also caused it to suffer a loss of members.
In July 2009, the KCTU was ordered to pay for the damages incurred from its destruction of 11 police vehicles during a violent rally two years previously.
Federation of Korean Trade Unions
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions was formed in 1961 after a military coup, and the dissolution of the General Federation of Korean Trade Unions and its affiliates...
. With 682,418 members in 2007, the KCTU accounted for 40.6% of trade union members in South Korea. The KCTU has more than 1,200 affiliated enterprise-level trade unions. It is the second largest trade union national center in South Korea, following the Federation of Korean Trade Unions
Federation of Korean Trade Unions
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions was formed in 1961 after a military coup, and the dissolution of the General Federation of Korean Trade Unions and its affiliates...
(FKTU). On 1 April 2009, KCTU delegates at a special session elected Lim Seong-kyu as President. Of the two, the KCTU is generally considered to be the more militant.
In 2008, during massive "mad cow protests"
US beef imports in South Korea
The 2008 US beef protest in South Korea was an importation issue in South Korea – United States relations after the closure of the South Korean market to US beef imports upon the discovery of a US case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in 2003...
the KCTU declared a general strike to protest the import of US beef on grounds that consuming the allegedly tainted beef could damage worker productivity.
In 2009, the union came under intense criticism for its cover up of the attempted sexual assault of a female union member by a high ranking union leader. The KCTU's perceived militancy and preoccupation with political matters unrelated to working conditions has also caused it to suffer a loss of members.
In July 2009, the KCTU was ordered to pay for the damages incurred from its destruction of 11 police vehicles during a violent rally two years previously.
See also
- 1996-1997 strikes in South Korea1996-1997 strikes in South KoreaIn December 1996 and January 1997, South Korea experienced the largest organized strike in its history, when workers in the automotive and shipbuilding industries refused to work in protest against a law which was to make firing employees easier for employers and curtail labor organizing...
- List of Korea-related topics
- Politics of South KoreaPolitics of South KoreaPolitics of the Republic of Korea takes place in the framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and...
- Economy of South KoreaEconomy of South KoreaSouth Korea has a market economy which ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP and 12th by purchasing power parity , identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. It is a high-income developed country, with a developed market, and is a member of OECD...
- Trade unions in South KoreaTrade unions in South KoreaThe Korean Ministry of Labor announced on 19 September 2008 that as of December 2007, 10.8% of workers in South Korea were in trade unions, a 0.5% increase from 10.3% in 2006. Korea’s unionization rate peaked in 1989 at 19.8% and fell to 10% 2004...