Crippled Tripartite Negotiation Concerning KRU and KEPIU Strikes

While the unions of the two public industries, the Korean Railway Union and the Korean Electric Power Industry Union, are on strikes for two days, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) resumed the negotiation with the Korean National Railroad (KNR) but did not narrow down the discrepancies in the opinions concerning such sensitive issues as reinstatement of the laid-off employees.

The operation rate of railroad yesterday marked 68.2 percent in the Capital city area and 54.3 percent in nationwide, showing no big changes compared to the previous day. Therefore, many people who use the commuter rails from Incheon or Suwon to Seoul have suffered from the delayed trains for two days.

Particularly, accidents that the senior citizens and the weak fell down by the rush of crowds in some subway stations were reported.

However, the chaotic situation was much eased because lots of commuters left their home more early or found alternative commuting ways.

The delegation including Lee Nam-Soon, chairperson of FKTU, to whom KRU entrusted the negotiation right, and the delegation of the Public Sector Federation of KCTU representing KEPIU, resumed negotiations with Administrator Sohn Hak-Rae at the Tripartite Office in Yoido and the employers of the electric power companies at Royal Hotel in Myungdong respectively but the conflicts continued on till late night.

Meanwhile, KCTU urged the government to step forward to resolve this problem, organizing temporary strikes participated by 100,000 unionists of the member unions (50,000 participants estimated by the Labor Ministry) such as Hyundai Motors in 22 cities over the nation from 1:00 to 5:00 PM yesterday including the `Rally to Win a Victory of the General Strike` at Chongmyo Park in Seoul.

4000 unionists of KRU are on strike in Konkuk University campus for two days but the government estimated that 914 unionists defected from the strike by 4:00 PM yesterday. Kim Jae-Gil, chairperson of KRU, ordered the unionists to gather their families in Konkuk University campus.

1700 unionists of the Social Insurance Unions joined in Seoul University where 3000 unionists of KEPIU had been on strike there for two days.

leej@donga.com