SOUTH KOREA: Powerful South Korean labour group to strikes against President Lee's economic reform plans

Record ID: 339125

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Powerful South Korean labour group to strikes against President Lee's economic reform plans
  • Date: 17th June 2008
  • Summary: (W2) ULSAN, SOUTH KOREA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HYUNDAI MOTOR ASSEMBLY LINE
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Economic News,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6B4YCC914ECG7D8TBBO4T5QTH
  • Story Text: A powerful South Korean labour group on Tuesday (June 17) announced a one-day strike for next month in protest against President Lee Myung-bak's economic reform plans, adding pressure on the embattled leader who is facing calls for his ouster.
    The move by more than 600,000-strong militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which represents auto, healthcare and financial service workers, comes as Lee is trying to resolve a truckers' strike over soaring fuel costs that has paralysed the export-dependent country's ports.

    "My union members and I determined together we will fight (against the government) unless Lee Myung-bak government changes its policies -- while I am the KCTU chairman," KCTU chairman Lee suk-haeng told a news conference on Tuesday.
    A KCTU spokesman said earlier they will be going on a full-out strike for one day on July 2.
    About 70 percent of its members voted to strike against Lee's privatisation plans, pro-business economic reforms and the deal his government signed to resume imports of U.S. beef, the group said in a statement.
    The labour union at Hyundai Motor Company, which is one of the largest single unions making up KCTU, said it would join the KCTU strike.
    Repeated talks between the government and striking truckers have broken down, while movement of cargo containers virtually ground to a halt, clogging up ports.
    Lee has faced more than a month of daily protests against his decision to allow imports of U.S. beef and the rallies have grown to criticise a wide range of his policies.
    Lee, who scored a landslide victory in a December election, has seen his support rate nosedive due to mass street protests that started in response to a U.S. beef import deal struck in April and have grown into rallies denouncing his policy plans.
    Analysts said the truckers' strike could begin to cause major damage to exporters in a matter of days as supplies run out and finished goods pile up.
    A leading trade agency said lost business from the strike amounted to $4.3 billion as of Monday.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register