- Title: South Korean workers strike over new wage system
- Date: 29th September 2016
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SOUTH KOREAN WORKERS AND MEMBERS OF FEDERATION OF KOREAN TRADE UNIONS (FKTU) AND KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (KCTU) GATHERING AND CHANTING AT RALLY VARIOUS OF WORKERS CHANTING RALLY IN PROGRESS WORKERS CHANTING LEADER OF UNIONS SPEAKING ON THE STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SECRETARY OF POLICY AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF KOREA PUBLIC SERVICE AND TRANSPORT WORKERS' UNION, PARK JOON-HYOUNG, SAYING: "About 60,000 workers from all over the country went on strike today and about 50,000 workers joined the rally in here. We demand a stop to adopting the illegal wage system based on performance, pushed by the government and will hurt the people."
- Embargoed: 14th October 2016 09:35
- Keywords: South Korea workers strike wages
- Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA00151MAURP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:South Korean workers at state-backed railways, hospitals and banks staged a strike on Thursday (September 29) to demand that the government roll back measures that link pay to job performance instead of seniority.
Police estimated that about 40,000 people took part in the rally in Seoul led by Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), the country's two major umbrella unions, to demonstrate against the government's policies.
South Koreans working for the government and large companies enjoy a high degree of job security and until recently were promoted and paid largely based on seniority, a system the government has sought to revamp in order to improve on low levels of productivity.
South Korea is an economic powerhouse but its labour productivity ranked just 77th last year among 138 countries, according to World Economic Forum data. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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