Labor unions at financial public institutions plan to hold a meeting with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and convey the need to remain in Seoul. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to finalize the public institutions subject to regional transfer in the second half of this year. The unions are expected to explain at the meeting why they oppose a regional transfer and the specialized nature of their work. While continuing communication with the government, labor unions in the financial sector are also signaling collective action, putting all their efforts into blocking the regional transfer.
According to the financial industry on the 28th, the financial union of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the financial and service union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plan to meet with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) in the afternoon to explain why financial public institutions need to remain in Seoul. The financial union under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions includes the Korea Development Bank chapter, the Export-Import Bank of Korea chapter, and the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) chapter. The financial and service union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) includes the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) chapter, the Korea INclusive Finance Agency (KINFA) chapter, and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chapter.
They plan to convey concerns about business disruptions and weakened functions caused by a regional transfer and submit materials summarizing the relevant points. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said it will comprehensively review the unions' views in the process of selecting targets for transfer.
There have been several prior meetings between the unions of financial public institutions and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), but this is the first time the unions have directly requested a meeting and delivered a detailed summary of their reasons for opposing the transfer. So far, it is known that only fundamental positions on the regional transfer have been exchanged. With the announcement on the regional transfer of public institutions scheduled for Sep., tension appears to be rising within the unions, prompting them to respond.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has classified about 350 public institutions located in the greater Seoul area as candidates for regional transfer and is compiling a list of the target institutions. It is reviewing both the expected benefits and the constraints of transferring those public institutions to the regions.
The government aims to flesh out the second-phase roadmap for the regional transfer of public institutions within this year and push the transfer starting next year. It is known that minimizing retention in the greater Seoul area and avoiding dispersed placement are under discussion.
The NongHyup Bank chapter of the financial union under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation chapter of the financial and service union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plan to hold a rally in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 29th to oppose the regional transfer. About 2,000 people are expected to take part in the rally.