The Launching of the NMC, a Third Civil Servants Labor Union

The National Mokmin (Governing the People) Labor Union Confederation (NMC), which is composed of 12 work councils within central government offices, launched on April 20 as the third civil servants’ labor union.

The NMC held a launching ceremony at the Great Hall today on the second floor of an outbuilding in the Central Government Complex on Sejong Street, Seoul, and disclosed that “we announce the foundation of the National Mokmin Labor Union Confederation, aimed at the independent line of civil servants alone, and an autonomous and democratic labor union.”

The NMC insisted that its members number about 20,000 from twelve work councils within central government offices including the Administrative Autonomous Ministry, Education Ministry, Culture and Tour Ministry, and Unification Ministry. Its members also come from other work councils in ten autonomous organizations like Seoul City Hall, and other departments directly attached to the central government offices like the National Central Museum and business offices under Seoul City Hall.

With the launch of the NMC, civil servants’ labor unions are now three in number, including two illegal labor unions, the National Civil Servants Labor Union and the ROK Civil Servants Labor Union Confederation.

In the launching ceremony on this day, the NMC adopted the following tenets: civil servants’ observance of political neutrality and maintenance of the independent line of civil servants alone, excluding other civil labor unions and autonomous labor movement; the early recovery of basic rights of labor for civil servants; civil servants’ faithful performance of their duties and roles in labor activities; and the establishment of a new paradigm of labor-management culture through the dialogue and compromise of co-existence.

The NMC decided to push concrete practical tasks such as campaigning against corruptions, leading administrative reform, improving the authoritative administrative culture, abolishing various discriminatory policies within public offices, and systemizing fair personnel.

Park Young-shik, chairman of NMC, said that “we will not join or align with other civil labor unions or political organizations like political parties,” adding that “we will attain our goal with causes and logic, not struggle.”

In connection with the launching of the NMC, the Administrative Autonomous Ministry said, “The courses of action of the NMC are stressing the political neutrality of the public servants; it will not greatly matter.”

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com