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problem.
Moreover, there are about 94% labor unions in Korea are belong to its own firm. There are a few
industrial unions in Korea. That’s why unions are easy to recognize themselves as member of
firm or partner of employment usually and royal to firm which they belong to when employers
regard union as partner. So keeping the partnership and neglecting the irregular workers can be
satisfying state. It is why the ultimate goal of Korea Confederation of Trade Union(KCTU) is
changing the all union into industrial union. Labor movement leaders think that by transforming
to industrial union, union can be freer from employers which they belong.
But if environment changes, namely the relationship between employers become bad(it can be
struggle or conflict for wage or firing or anything else), it might be a danger signal to union labor.
Regarding Korea labor market situation which is expressed ‘Insecurity Job to every worker’
(Kim, 2005) this interpretation do not go far. As a result the balanced status would be changed.
In this condition, the most proper strategy or choice that labor union can take is enlarging the
organization size by include the irregular workers. At extreme case bad relationship with
employers would mean strike. But beside extreme case, they would want to be strong against
employer. And winning irregular workers are one of the best strategies to enlarge union. And it’s
a common strategy, too. “It is important to broaden the definition of movement community ….
Which often include people who are not movement members”(Stoecker, 1995: p.112). Including
the more members means union have more resource to labor movement or can achieve
legitimacy by representing workers include irregular workers. Tilly defined it as a kind of
mobilization “When it escaped the union-busting of employers and governments, the trade union
greatly increased the capacity of workers to act together: to strike, to boycott, to make collective
4
According to WPS data, about 85% of labor unions responded the more important task of union is stable
employment than wage problems.
Convention