Social pressure leads to union's about-face; strike postponed

The labor union of the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) postponed its first-ever general strike, originally scheduled for this morning.

The unionized workers of the state-run utility were about to go on a general strike starting at 8 a.m. against the government¡¯s plan to privatize the company and to sell the power plants in installments.

KEPCO management, labor and government conducted negotiations on the bill related to KEPCO privatization, and the timing and method of the process, at a special arbitration meeting of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) until midnight, the deadline for the legal arbitration, but the groups could not find a compromise.

However, management and labor agreed to continue negotiations by extending the arbitration period through Dec. 3 after the labor union shelved the walkout plan.

¡°There is no change in the government¡¯s attitude at all,¡± Oh Kyung-Ho, chairman of the KEPCO labor union, said in a press conference. ¡°But we decided to postpone the strike from a broader point of view and to continue negotiations.¡±

Oh was planning to come up with the union¡¯s future plans for a struggle in a press conference during the day.

Chung Yong-Kwan yongari@donga.com