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Five Major Economic Leaders Say “No More Strikes”

Posted June. 23, 2003 21:54,   

한국어

“If this is the way that labor-management problems are dealt with, companies would have no choice but to face it with reduced investment and factory transfer overseas”

This is the final ultimatum in economic circles for the labor community and government, having started a series of general strikes.

Five major economic institutions - FKI, Korea Employer`s Federation, Korea Chamber of Commerce, Korea Trade Association, Korean Industry Trade Association and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium-sized Businesses - held an emergency meeting at Lotte Hotel located in Seoul on June 23 to issue their statement demanding that the government take stronger measures against illegal strikes.

They urged the labor community to stop its illegal strikes immediately, so as not to harm the nation`s economy.

The statement also warned that “the two largest labor unions -Korean Federation of Trade Unions and Federation of Korean Trade Unions - are seducing major industrial organizations into launching a general strike around the nation only to greatly damage the national economy and people`s lives. This may cause a complete failure for our economy.”

“In conclusion, this illegal general strike cannot be justified in any way with the whole economy and workers themselves becoming sacrifices to it,” it said.

Vice Chairman of Korea Employers Federation Jo Nam-hong said that “if this would not appeal to them, we will have to respond with a reduction in investment and employment and facility transfer overseas.”

Vice Chairman of FKI Hyun Myung-kwan said: “We have to appeal to the law itself. We would take every active action based on laws and regulations including indicting illegal labor practices and applying for provisional injunction.”

Economic institutions also reported to the government that “the Roh Moo-hyun administration should show stronger determination to keep up with current laws and regulations. If it changes major policy direction due to threats from labor unions, the nation may lose steam towards improving the economy, let alone the dream of achieving 20,000 dollars per year in national income.”

The meeting was attended by all chairmans of each institution - Korea Employer`s Federation`s Kim Chang-sung, Korea Chamber of Commerce`s Park Yong-sung, FKI`s Sohn Gil-seung and Korea Trade Association`s Kim Jae-chul.



Joong-Hyun Park sanjuck@donga.com