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Roh: Solid Economy Guarantees Continued Existence of Labor Unions

Roh: Solid Economy Guarantees Continued Existence of Labor Unions

Posted June. 30, 2003 21:41,   

한국어

President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that “the government will pursue a balance between dialogue and law enforcement when dealing with labor disputes. Not under any circumstances will illegal strikes be tolerated. They will be sternly dealt with in accordance with the principle of the law.”

Mr. Roh spoke at a keynote speech during an international convention on the “participatory government’s economic vision” held at Shilla Hotel in downtown Seoul. “Stabilizing the troubled Korean economy and rocky industrial relations are both urgent issues that need to be promptly addressed by the government,” he said.

“In close cooperation with the Tripartite Commission for representatives from management, labor, and the government, the government will establish advanced industrial relations within one or two years through a new model for labor-management relations. In addition, the government will try to establish new labor policies to meet international standards in terms of labor-related regulations and practices, flexibility in the labor market, and the rights and responsibilities of workers,” he said.

“Korea`s labor-management relations will pursue a win-win strategy benefiting both workers and businesses as a whole,” the president added.

Touching on his envisioned market reform policies, he explained that “the government will try to improve corporate transparency in Korea to the level of advanced nations by adopting a class action lawsuit system and CEO certification system for regular business reporting. Also, a task force from public and government sources will draft a three-year plan for market reform for autonomous implementation on a gradual, long-term basis.”

“Over the past eight years, Korea’s GNP has remained at 10,000 dollars. We need to achieve the 20,000 dollar level as soon as possible,” he said. To that end, the president presented a five-point economic growth strategy that includes technological innovation, market reform, cultural renewal, transformation of the Korean economy into a Northeast Asian hub and political and economic decentralization.

Foreign figures participating in the convention emphasized that the Korean government needs to send a clear message to the world that it wants to pursue market-friendly economic policies. In addition, the foreign participants urged the government to stay away from economic policies that encourage impartial distribution of wealth. In particular, they expressed their concerns over the government`s response to the recent strikes.

Regarding the current railway workers’ strike, during a meeting with aides and secretaries, the president said that “labor unions exist because this is a free nation and the survival of its workers requires a sound economy. Unions therefore need to exercise restraint when pushing ahead with their demands so as not to undermine the economy.”

“The on-going rail strike is illegal and the government will deal with it in accordance with the law. To set the precedence that illegal strikes will be sternly dealt with, the public need to be patient about any inconvenience coming out of the process of the government’s implementation of tough measures.”

“The government will sternly deal with anti-government strikes instead of demanding improvement of working conditions,” the president added.



Jeong-Hun Kim Ki-Jeong Ko jnghn@donga.com koh@donga.com