Ban will thwart civil servants’ new union
Published: 25 Nov. 2009, 00:50
Government employees, including unionized public workers, will be banned by regulations from collectively opposing government policies beginning next month, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said yesterday.
The cabinet meeting approved a revision of the regulations on civil servants’ obligations, banning them from any collective anti-government activities and statements or wearing anti-government slogans while on duty, ministry officials said.
According to the revision, set to take effect on Dec. 1, civil servants are not allowed to collectively criticize the government or interfere with policy planning and law enforcement under the name of a labor union or other forms of groups.
The legal revision is intended to weaken the influence of an integrated civil employees union, tentatively called the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU).
The KGEU, which recently came into being as a result of a merger of three separate public workers’ unions, is scheduled to be formally launched early next month with an estimated membership of 160,000 workers.
The merger, as well as a decision by the KGEU in September to join a hard-line labor umbrella group, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, have enraged the government of President Lee Myung-bak.
Refusing to acknowledge the KGEU as a legal labor union, the labor and public administration ministries have repeatedly warned the unionized civil workers not to engage in any political or anti-government activities.
On Monday, the Seoul city government’s disciplinary committee decided to dismiss Yang Sung-yun, 45, the head of the United Union of Korean Government Employees and a civil servant at Yangcheon District Office in western Seoul, of his post.
Yang was referred to the committee since he spearheaded an anti-government rally in July last year and posted a newspaper advertisement criticizing the government while he was the head of Seoul branch office under the KGEU.
“Yang’s participation in the rally violated a law that regulates public servants’ duty to stay away from practicing collective movements and work with faithfulness and obedience,” said one of committee members on condition of anonymity.
“Committee members agreed to raise the level of his disciplinary punishment because he urged other co-workers to take part in the demonstration,” he added.
The united union is organized with a combination of the KGEU, Korean Democracy Government Employee’s Union and Court Government Employees’ Union.
There are an estimated 115,000 union members under the united union.
“I will maintain as the head of the united union and keep on protesting against the committee’s unfair punishment,” Yang said.
Yang will be banned from reappointment to any civil servant posts during next three years. He will receive a severance allowance.
Yonhap
The cabinet meeting approved a revision of the regulations on civil servants’ obligations, banning them from any collective anti-government activities and statements or wearing anti-government slogans while on duty, ministry officials said.
According to the revision, set to take effect on Dec. 1, civil servants are not allowed to collectively criticize the government or interfere with policy planning and law enforcement under the name of a labor union or other forms of groups.
The legal revision is intended to weaken the influence of an integrated civil employees union, tentatively called the Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU).
The KGEU, which recently came into being as a result of a merger of three separate public workers’ unions, is scheduled to be formally launched early next month with an estimated membership of 160,000 workers.
The merger, as well as a decision by the KGEU in September to join a hard-line labor umbrella group, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, have enraged the government of President Lee Myung-bak.
Refusing to acknowledge the KGEU as a legal labor union, the labor and public administration ministries have repeatedly warned the unionized civil workers not to engage in any political or anti-government activities.
On Monday, the Seoul city government’s disciplinary committee decided to dismiss Yang Sung-yun, 45, the head of the United Union of Korean Government Employees and a civil servant at Yangcheon District Office in western Seoul, of his post.
Yang was referred to the committee since he spearheaded an anti-government rally in July last year and posted a newspaper advertisement criticizing the government while he was the head of Seoul branch office under the KGEU.
“Yang’s participation in the rally violated a law that regulates public servants’ duty to stay away from practicing collective movements and work with faithfulness and obedience,” said one of committee members on condition of anonymity.
“Committee members agreed to raise the level of his disciplinary punishment because he urged other co-workers to take part in the demonstration,” he added.
The united union is organized with a combination of the KGEU, Korean Democracy Government Employee’s Union and Court Government Employees’ Union.
There are an estimated 115,000 union members under the united union.
“I will maintain as the head of the united union and keep on protesting against the committee’s unfair punishment,” Yang said.
Yang will be banned from reappointment to any civil servant posts during next three years. He will receive a severance allowance.
Yonhap
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