Aftermath of Korean Rail Way Workers Union walkout

Aftermath of Korean Rail Way Workers Union walkout
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2014/01/202_149137.html
2014-01-03 17:10
Aftermath of walkout

Industrial peace is basis for economic, social stability

The longest railroad strike in the nation’s history ended Monday, but the labor-management friction shows little signs of abating. KORAIL and the police are going all-out to arrest and punish union leaders, citing “law and principle,” while pushing ahead with a spinoff of the state-run rail company under the pretext of “injecting competition” in the monopolized public transport.

Some in the governing party even blamed the politicians who pulled off the truce in the government-labor conflict for “saving the dying union.”

If their candid response reveals the intention of the ruling camp ― to crush organized labor ― it would be a complete, and very dangerous, mistake not least because labor’s cooperation is essential for both economic growth and social stability.

We won’t go as far as to think the government effectively induced the strike by rail workers. But it defied our understanding why KORAIL management pushed so hard, and one-sidedly, for the creation of a subsidiary in defiance of the union’s appeals for more dialogue. There were opportunities to avoid the collective action had the company and government made more of an effort to explain their positions to workers.

Unlike KORAIL’s claim, most experts also express doubts about the “effects of competition.” In the worst-case scenario, the overlapping services will lead to a fall in overall efficiency, an eventual rise in fares and bigger losses for the parent company, as its subsidiary takes away its most lucrative route while using the existing facilities almost for free.

Advanced countries have seen sufficient adverse effects of privatizing rail service, which unionists ― and a majority of people ― suspect is the government’s ultimate goal behind the current brouhaha over KORAIL’s split-off, such as higher fees, more frequent and fatal traffic accidents and even larger government subsidies for unprofitable routes.

Britain’s Conservative Party, for example, has issued apologies for these kinds of harmful effects of privatization, and the Labor Party is reportedly considering making the renationalization of certain areas of the rail transport system a campaign pledge.

President Park Geun-hye, who allegedly wants to emulate the late British leader, Margaret Thatcher, should know her role model didn’t do at least two things: Thatcher privatized various kinds of public services, but was reluctant to leave the rail sector in the hands of profit-oriented businessmen. And even the legendary fighter with unions did not order the arrests of union leaders. In a way, Park is trying to practice neo-liberalistic dogma in its waning days, something which her mentor couldn’t or didn’t do during its heyday.

Before antagonizing the entirety of labor, President Park must realize that the more organized the labor, the higher the people’s quality of life. Compared with about a 10-percent unionization rate in Korea and the United States, the comparable rate of 34 OECD countries is 30 percent on the average, and that of the welfare paradise in North European countries approaches 70 percent.

Park calls for reforming inefficient state companies and public service sectors. Few can deny such needs, but the president should first ask herself how many of the dozens of her former cronies who are now sitting at the top posts of the state firms can make such reforms.

During her campaign, the then candidate Park tried to visit the memorial of the late labor martyr Chun Tae-il as a gesture of reconciliation. On Thursday, the Confederation of Korean Trade Union Thursday tied a red headband on Chun’s statue, vowing to fight against the Park administration till the end.

This is hardly a good way to start a New Year for the unionists ― and the president whose alleged priority is national integration and happiness.