The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) decided on the 3rd to participate in the social dialogue led by the National Assembly. This marks the return to the labor-management-government discussion table approximately 26 years after withdrawing from the Tripartite Commission (now the Economic, Social and Labor Council) in February 1999.
On the afternoon of the 3rd, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a Central Committee meeting at the Mapo District Office in Seoul and voted on the agenda to participate in the 'National Assembly social dialogue.' Out of 355 members, 261 attended the meeting, and with a majority of 142 in favor, the participation agenda was approved.
The social dialogue led by the National Assembly is a labor-management-government dialogue mechanism that National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik is dedicated to. When the Presidential Committee on Economic, Social and Labor Affairs was unable to fulfill its role, Speaker Woo proposed participation in a National Assembly-centered labor-management-government dialogue mechanism in August last year.
Since withdrawing from the Tripartite Commission in February 1999 in response to restructuring of public enterprises and large corporations, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has not returned until now. Although the leadership in 2005 discussed returning to the labor-management-government dialogue, the discussions ultimately fell through due to fierce opposition from hardliners, leading to significant chaos. The perception that the Tripartite Commission was merely a formal body that extracted concessions from labor in labor policy decisions has persisted, distancing them from the center of social dialogue.
It seemed that the restoration of social dialogue was in sight with the Moon Jae-in government. However, it did not lead to participation in social dialogue due to opposition to minimum wage deliberations in June 2018. In July 2020, a labor-management-government agreement was drafted to overcome the crisis of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but 15 minutes before the joint announcement, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) notified its refusal to participate due to internal opposition, and thus the labor-management-government agreement fell through.
After the participation decision that day, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) stated, "We plan to use the legislative body of the National Assembly as a stage for dialogue, supporting labor-government negotiations and establishing a foundation for sectoral bargaining." It added, "If the amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act (the so-called 'yellow envelope law') was the fruit of our struggle, then participating in the National Assembly-led social dialogue is the starting point for institutionalizing those achievements and expanding labor rights on a larger scale."
The National Assembly plans to derive labor-related agendas and urgent tasks, differentiating itself from the social dialogue previously led by the government, and push forward with legislation.