[Open Forum] Union Abuse We Can No Longer Tolerate … Restore Their Proper Role Instead of Illegal Acts

Labor unions are routinely committing abuses by taking innocent citizens hostage and threatening businesses. Recently, the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union came under criticism for using patients’ health as a bargaining chip during a prolonged 20-day strike. Union overreach has gone so far that even laws such as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, under which employers can be punished, are being turned into tools of intimidation.

Labor unions, which emerged as a product of industrialization, have deteriorated over time compared with their original form. In the past, workers formed unions to secure humane treatment and guarantee basic rights. Today, however, unions often flaunt collective power while engaging in illegal acts and violent behavior. They brazenly demand that union members be hired, extort money and valuables, and even insist on monthly payments comparable to a worker’s salary. Reports of illegal acts committed by unions are sometimes preemptively suppressed through threats of retaliation and disadvantage against the affected companies.

From an economic perspective, it is difficult to view unions’ lawless behavior positively. The greatest harm of illegal strikes is that they withhold legitimately owed labor. In the case of construction unions, they do not stop at striking but also obstruct ongoing projects, thereby lowering firms’ economic productivity. They oppose the use of equipment incorporating new technologies and even force companies to use outdated equipment affiliated with the union. This acts as an obstacle to development across industry as a whole. In addition, unions sometimes demand monthly fees, full-time union official pay, and improper monetary payments. This is little different from extorting corporate property.

Laws are also frequently used as a means of threatening businesses. A representative example is the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. This law allows accountability to be imposed on corporate managers and corporations when industrial accidents involving workers occur. Union officials sometimes exploit the possibility of punishing employers and use the Serious Accidents Punishment Act as a threat card in negotiations with companies in order to achieve the outcomes they want.

From a political perspective as well, concerns have been raised that unions have already degenerated into political organizations. Unions are organizations formed to protect workers’ rights and interests against businesses. Forgetting their original role and duty, officials in some unions openly mention specific political parties and encourage members to join them. This is a clear violation of the Political Parties Act and infringes upon the people’s basic right to freely choose which political party to join.

Unions sometimes take citizens hostage during negotiations in order to force through their demands. Not long ago, about 25,000 union members illegally occupied areas around Seoul Plaza and Cheonggye Plaza and staged an overnight protest. In public squares that all citizens should be able to use comfortably, they engaged in drinking, smoking, and illegal littering. Through complaints from inconvenienced citizens, the unions sought to achieve the goals they wanted.

Measures must be put in place swiftly to stop these unjust atrocities by unions. Corrupt unions that have degenerated into political groups must no longer hold innocent citizens hostage or inflict harm on them. In particular, they must no longer be allowed to abuse the law to threaten businesses in order to plunder corporate property. Unions should not demonize companies and responsible managers while pursuing private interests. Now is the time for unions to restore their original proper function of improving workers’ poor conditions, instead of committing illegal acts.

Hyunsu Jeon

Intern Researcher, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: [자유발언대]더는 참을 수 없는 노조의 횡포 ... 불법 대신 순기능 회복해야

Author: Hyun-su Jeon

Date: 2023-09-22

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=free_opinion&pn=5&idx=26036