[Free Speech] Politicized Unions Must Find the Right Direction

Even amid the COVID-19 situation, the large-scale illegal rallies pushed ahead by members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions made the public clearly recognize the problems with labor unions. Acting solely in pursuit of their group’s interests without regard for public health or public opinion is morally reprehensible. Issues related to labor unions have now become an unavoidable and practical problem in our country. From an economic perspective, I would like to examine two more fundamental problems with labor unions in Korea below.

Labor unions’ attitude of fundamentally denying the market economy system is harmful to the economy and society. Traditional unions in advanced countries such as Germany and the United States do not display this kind of anti-market behavior. This is a distinctive feature found only in Korean labor unions.

For example, demands such as reclaiming chaebol profits, introducing a wealth tax, and abolishing performance-based pay are representative examples of anti-business sentiment. These anti-market positions taken by labor unions weaken corporate competitiveness, hinder new investment and business activity, and create rigidity in employment. Jobs in the labor market decrease, economic growth rates fall, and national development is stifled. Since none of this provides any real help to workers’ economic activity and negatively affects the public’s standard of living, it can be said that the greatest victims of anti-market attitudes are workers themselves.

The politicization of labor unions is another important problem. In pursuit of the goal of politically securing collective interests, labor unions have continuously reinforced a sense of entitlement. In particular, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, as an upper-level union organization, has constantly intervened in many political events and colluded with the political establishment. Today’s labor unions have collectively privatized unions into vanguard organizations solely for the labor movement, because doing so makes it easier to represent the unions’ interests.

However, the greater the interests of labor unions become, the smaller workers’ rights become. This is conduct that has forgotten the union’s original role. If they want to make political voices heard, the democratic way would be to form a political party and act legally. Exercising political collectivism reveals the harmful effects of politicized labor unions.

Economic growth and social development presuppose the steady efforts of each member of society. Of course, labor unions are organizations that act for their own interests, but each union member is also a responsible member of society and should therefore cultivate a spirit of serving the community. This spirit begins with giving up one’s privileges little by little, and it is also essential for social progress and growth.

It is in this context that labor and management can grow together by discussing with companies such goals as guaranteeing the safe working conditions that unions seek and ensuring respect for workers. If labor unions are truly to become pro-labor organizations that serve workers, now is the time for them to demonstrate a sense of responsibility as economic actors and as members of the Republic of Korea. That is what the public currently expects from labor unions.

Hyeokjun Ye, Intern Researcher, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: [자유발언대] 정치세력화된 노조, 올바른 방향성 찾아야

Author: Hyeok-jun Ye

Date: 2021-09-30

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=free_opinion&pn=10&idx=24255