The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) is a
national trade union center
A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...
in South Korea formed in 1960. It represents the
company union tendency of the South Korean
labour movement
The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other.
* The trade union movement ...
, as opposed to the more militant
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), literally translated as National Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions, also known as Minju-nochong ( ko, 민주노총; acronym for ''KCTU'' in Korean language) is a national trade union centr ...
(KCTU).
After the
May 16 coup
The May 16 military coup d'état () was a military coup d'état in South Korea in 1961, organized and carried out by Park Chung-hee and his allies who formed the Military Revolutionary Committee, nominally led by Army Chief of Staff Chang Do ...
in 1961, the
Park Chung-hee regime dissolved the General Federation of Korean Trade Unions and its affiliates. The FKTU was placed under the guidance of the military authorities.
The FKTU was the sole legal trade union center in South Korea until the KCTU was finally recognized in November 1999. The Korean Government previously considered the KCTU as a terrorist organisation.
The FKTU is affiliated with the
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); german: Internationaler Gewerkschaftsbund (IGB), link=no; es, Confederación Sindical Internacional (CSI), link=no. is the world's largest trade union federation.
History
The federation w ...
.
Unionization rate in 2007 stands at 10.8 percent first upward move in 18 years
''Korea International Labour Foundation'', 19 September 2008. Accessed 2009-04-09.
See also
* 1996-1997 strikes in South Korea
* Politics of South Korea
The politics of the Republic of Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. The government exercises executive power and ...
* Economy of South Korea
The economy of South Korea is a highly developed mixed economy. By nominal GDP, it has the 5th largest economy in Asia and the 13th largest in the world. South Korea is notable for its rapid economic development from an underdeveloped natio ...
* Trade unions in South Korea The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on December 30 2021 that as of 2020, 14.2% of workers were in trade unions in South Korea, a 1.7% increase from 12.5% in 2019. Korea's unionization rate peaked in 1989 at 19.8% and fell to 10% 2004.
References
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External links
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{{Authority control
National trade union centers of South Korea
International Trade Union Confederation
Trade unions established in 1960
1960 establishments in South Korea
Organizations based in Seoul