Industrial Unions in Korea

Korea Health & Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU)bogun.nodong.org

KHMU• Many hospitals were unionized in 1987• Korean Federation of Hospital Unions (KFHU) in 1988-1998 – Over 100 hospital unions belonging to KFHU

• Transformed into industrial union, KHMU in February 1998– 140 hospital branches belonging to one union, KHMU

• First industrial agreement in 2004 after 2-week industrial strike with 10,000 members

KHMU• Established as federation 1988• Transformed into industrial union in 1998• 140 hospitals• 40,000 members• 11 regional offices• 50 full-time activists (25 persons at HQ)• 300 full-time union officers at workplace level• 8% of unionization rate (500,000 workers in healthcare sector)• Union dues: 1 % of monthly wage (around 15 USD) + solidarity fund• 50% for workplace union, 40% for HQ, 10% for regional offices• Yearly budget: USD 4 million• 5 departments: administration & finance, policy & planning, organizing, education & public relations, precarious workers, external relations

Struggle coordinated and guided by KHMU

KHMU press conference

KHMU industrial bargaining

KHMU campaign for 5-day workweek

Korea Metal Workers’ Union(KMWU)

KMWU• Korean Federation of Metal Trade Unions (KFMU) established in 1998 with 200,000 members, after the merger among metal union federation, auto union federation and Hyundai Group union federation. • Some company unions inside KFMU was transformed into KMWU in 2001 with 30,000 members. • Most company unions dissolved company union structure and joined KMWU in 2006, resulting in the KMWU membership with 158,000 members.

KMWU• Membership decline– 153,013 members in September 2008– 136,132 members as of November 2011 in 238 unionized companies– 135,000 members as of June 2013

• 4 sectors: – Auto: 90,000 members– Shipbuilding: 10,000 members– Steel: 10,000 members– General manufacturing: 20,000 members

• 19 branches– 14 regional branches– 5 company branches

KMWU Structure

240 companies

14 regional branches5 company branches

HQ4 sectorsAutoShipbuildingSteelmanufacturing

KMWU Manpower• Leadership

– 1 president, first vice president, general secretary– 5 general vice presidents, 1 woman vice president

• 7 departments– policy planning, external relations, public relations, education, health & safety, precarious workers, organizing

• Full-timers– 90 activists are employed by KMWU– 70 leaders are dispatched from company-level unions to upper-level unions such as KMWU HQ and regional branches– 1,000 full-timers at workplace level

KMWU Finance38,000,000,000

Korea won

= 35,000,000 US dollar

1% of normal wage

48% at company level

18% at regional branch level

16% at HQ level

18% for several funds

Collective Bargaining• Central bargaining– KMWU HQ and metal employers

association– 20,000 members are covered

• KMWU and big company bargaining• Regional branch bargaining• Company-level bargaining

KCTUKorean Confederation of Trade Unions

KCTU• 16 regional offices• 16 industrial unions or federations• 700,000 members

KCTU affiliates1. Construction and building union2. Public service & transport union3. Civil servant union4. Professor union5. CAL professor union6. Metal union (KMWU)7. University union8. General union

9. Healthcare union (KHMU)10.Private service union11.Financial and clerical union12.Press union13.Chemical & textile union14.Information & technology union15.Teachers union16.Women union

Importance of Union Structure• Individual worker Vs United workers• Capitalist with money and capital• Workers united at

– Factory– Company– Industry– National– Global

• Forms of Union Structure– Factory– Company– regional– Industry– National– Global

Company unionism1. Employee organization2. HR management unit3. Small-sized and scattered4. Decentralized and narrow-minded5. Weak bargaining power6. Limited struggle power7. Poor influence over government8. Poor consciousness and poor strategy

Industrial unionism1. Workers organization2. National union in industry3. Big-sized (class organization)4. Unified and centralized5. Strong bargaining power6. Industry/nation-wide struggle 7. Industrial policy and social system change8. High consciousness and effective strategy / ideology