Winter struggle of unions frustrated

The much-touted ¡°winter struggle" of the labor circle has been frustrated after the labor union of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) shelved its plan to launch a general strike twice.

Labor unions in the public sector belonging to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) were about to launch a timed strike starting at 1 p.m. Thursday at their respective workplaces, but canceled the plan after the KEPCO union put it off.

The railroad labor union said Thursday that its 25,000 members will go on a general walkout beginning Dec. 15 unless the government makes an acceptable change in its position on the plan to privatize the state-run railroad business.

The rally of unionized workers from the public sector under the two major labor federations held at the Seoul Station plaza Thursday was attended by only 200 people, most of whom were railroad union members.

As the KEPCO union shelved the strike plan and the Seoul Station rally ended on a low note, the two federations¡¯ joint strike slated for Dec. 5 aimed at warning the government and management is expected to be virtually defeated.

Meanwhile, KEPCO¡¯s labor union decided in a meeting of its executive members at Myongdong Cathedral to launch a strike Dec. 4, when the bill related to the utility¡¯s privatization is scheduled to pass through the Commerce, Industry, and Energy Committee of the National Assembly, if there is no change in the government plan by Dec. 3.