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24 January, 2000The theme for the KMWF convention was "Building an Industrial Union -- Empowerment of the Workers".
KOREA, REP: The 4th National Convention of the Korean Metal Workers' Federation, which took place in Kyong-ju on January 22, 2000, held an interesting and very important debate on industrial union structure. The KMWF's president, Mun Sung-hyun, strongly advocated the building up of a nation-wide industry-based federation, for October 2000, with the short-term objective being one national collective agreement for all companies in the metal industry, large and small. This proposal received strong support from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' president, Dan Byung-ho, himself a former KMWF president and metalworker from Hyundai. The KMWF is a member of the KCTU.
Although there was some opposition to this proposal, mainly from the big company unions, 55.5 per cent of the delegates voted in favour of it. The decision carries great significance and will certainly have an impact far beyond Korea's borders.
While in Korea to attend the KMWF convention, the IMF general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, met with the leadership of both IMF affiliates, the KMWF and the Federation of Korean Metalworkers' Trade Unions (FKMTU), whose cooperation has increasingly grown since the government gave legal recognition to the KCTU last November. The FKMTU president, Yu Jae-soub, said that a similar decision as to building up an industrial union will be taken by his union as well, at their convention in May.
Malentacchi declared that "this decision shows the tremendous result so far of the work of the Korean metalworkers and is a great achievement for us all."
Although there was some opposition to this proposal, mainly from the big company unions, 55.5 per cent of the delegates voted in favour of it. The decision carries great significance and will certainly have an impact far beyond Korea's borders.
While in Korea to attend the KMWF convention, the IMF general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, met with the leadership of both IMF affiliates, the KMWF and the Federation of Korean Metalworkers' Trade Unions (FKMTU), whose cooperation has increasingly grown since the government gave legal recognition to the KCTU last November. The FKMTU president, Yu Jae-soub, said that a similar decision as to building up an industrial union will be taken by his union as well, at their convention in May.
Malentacchi declared that "this decision shows the tremendous result so far of the work of the Korean metalworkers and is a great achievement for us all."