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We, the undersigned unions and allies, stand in unconditional solidarity with our Korean trade union comrades and the people of South Korea following the dangerous imposition of Martial Law by the government of Yoon Suk-yeol. In particular, we stand with our long-time comrades in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU).
We celebrate the news that the Martial Law has been reversed and reaffirm our support to comrades in the Korean labour movement who courageously resisted President Yoon Suk-yeo’s reckless move and who continue to defy this attempted escalation of authoritarianism.
Alongside other movements and defenders of democracy, the international trade union community stands united against repression, and for the empowerment of the working class.
Even though Martial Law was lifted, the Korean labour movement has declared that the struggle against Yoon will continue - as it has for months- until he steps down and the announced strikes will be moving forward as planned.
We therefore double our support and commit to closely follow the series of strikes rallies by KPTU members and workers in railway, metro and schools taking place from December 5th to 7th, 2024. Their main demands for real wage increases, safe staffing levels and safe working conditions are fundamental towards ensuring the provision of quality public services for the Korean people.
In particular, we support and stand with our comrades in the energy sector who are holding a rally on December 6 to demand job security in the energy transition and for the government to change its energy policy to a public-centred energy policy. We unreservedly oppose the privatisation of energy and essential public services.
The KPTU workers’ strike has gained strength because it is consistent with the fight for democracy, justice, freedom, and workers’ rights. These strikes reflect the courageous opposition to Yoon Suk-yeol's attempt to impose an authoritarian regime at the expense of workers' fundamental rights and democratic values.
Workers and progressive forces have already called for "Yoon Suk-yeol's resignation" and unions will continue their strike against the martial law regime. They will not surrender to the groundless martial law.
The KPTU has declared they will be “at the forefront of the struggle to overthrow the regime” and the international trade union movement will stand with them every step of the way.
Add-on: We stand in full support of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in their indefinite nationwide strike. KCTU leaders assert that the organization will continue its work stoppage until President Yoon Suk Yeul resigns. We support their demand and stand in full solidarity with the strike.
Signed,
The following 84 unions from 44 countries and 6 trade union-allied organisations
Américas
Confederación Latinoamericana y del caribe de Trabajadores Estatales
Confederación Sindical de trabajadores y trabajadoras de las Américas (CSA)
Argentina
CTA Autónoma
CTA-T / Sec. Relaciones Internacionales
FeTERA Federación de Trabajadores de la Energía
Unión del Personal Civil de la Nación (UPCN)
CNTI - CTA Autónoma
Asociación del Personal Superior de Empresas de Energía (APSEE)
Bangladesh
Paschimanchal Bidyut Bitaran Sramik Karmachari Union (PBBSKU)
Barbados
Public Services International - Barbados
Belgium
CGSP ALR
SETCa
Belize
Public Service Union of Belize
Botswana
Botswana Federation Of Trade Unions (BFTU)
Brasil
Central Única dos Trabalhadores - CUT Brasil
Confederação Nacional dos Metalúrgicos da CUT - CNM/CUT
Sindicato dos Servidores Municipais de São Paulo (Sindsepsp)
Bulgaria
Federation of Construction, Industry and Water Supply (FCIW-PODKREPA)
Canada
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Chile
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Chile - CUT Chile
Federación de Trabajadores de Call Center de Chile (FETRACALL)
Federación Nacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadores del Petróleo y Afines (FENATRAPECH)
Federación de Sindicatos de Metro (FESIMETRO)
Colombia
Union Sindical Obrera (USO)
SINTRAMINERALES
Sintracarbon
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Rama, Servicios de la Industria del Transporte y Logística de Colombia (SNTT - Colombia)
Dominica
Public Service Union (Dominica PSU)
Ecuador
Confederación Ecuatoriana de Organizaciones Clasistas Unitarias de Trabajadores (CEDOCUT)
Egypt
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Staff Union (BASU)
España
Confederación Intersindical de España (STEs)
Euskal Herria/País Vasco
ELA Sindikatua
LAB Sindikatua
France
Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT)
Federation Mines et Energie CGT (FNME-CGT)
Galiza
Confederación Intersindical Galega (CIG)
India
United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)
National Hawker Federation
All India Women’s Hawker Federation
Kamgar Ekta Union (Port and Railway Workers Union)
Indonesia
Persatuan Pegawai PT PLN Indonesia Power (PP-IP)
Ireland
Fórsa
Italia
Associazione Rurale Italiana
Italian General Confederation of Labour - CGIL
Kenya
Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers Union (KETAWU)
Lebanon
Public Services International - Lebanon (PSI Lebanon)
Mexico
Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME)
Unión Nacional de Técnicos y Profesionistas Petroleros (UNTyPP)
Sindicato Nacional De Trabajadores Del Seguro Social (SNTSS)
Namibia
Trade Union Congress of Namibia
Nepal
General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT)
Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC)
CLASS-Nepal
Niger
Syndicat National des Travailleurs de l'Energie du Niger (SYNTRAVE)
Nigeria
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
Norway
Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NNO)
Pakistan
Labour Education Foundation
Panamá
Sindicato de los Trabajadores de la Industria Eléctrica y Similares de Panamá (SITIESPA)
Paraguay
Asociación Paraguaya de Enfermería
Perú
Federación de Trabajadores del Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (FENTAP)
Sindicato de Trabajadores Engie Energía Perú (STEEP)
Sindicato Unificado de Trabajadores de la Electricidad y Actividades Conexas (SUTREL)
Philippines
BULAKENYAS
SENTRO
Bukluran ng Manggawang Pilipino - BMP ( Filipino Workers Solidarity)
Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK)
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino - NCRR (BMP-NCRR)
Aniban ng Manggagawa Agrikultura (AMA)
Labor United and Alliances (LAB U ALL)
Independent Public Sector Employees Association (PIPSEA)
Tacurong City Employees Association (PSEAS/TACEA)
Pin@y care workers transnational / United Domestic Workers of the Philippines
National Confederation of TransportWorkers Union - NCTU
Puerto Rico
Unión de Trabajadores de la Industria Eléctrica y Riego - Prosol (UTIER Prosol)
Senegal
Syndicat National des Travailleurs du Pétrole, du Gaz et des Activités Connexes du Sénégal
South Africa
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU)
Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
Sri Lanka
Commercial and Industrial Workers Union (CIWU)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Vincent Public Service Union
Sweden/Sverige
Swedish Municipal Workers Union (Kommunal)
Swedish Municipal Workers Union
Tunisia
Fédération générale de l'électricité et du gaz-UGTT
United Kingdom
UNISON
United States
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Trade Union Allied Organizations
War on Want, United Kingdom
International Peace Bureau, India
Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), Indonesia
Transform!Europe, Italy
Censat Agua Viva - Friends of the Earth Colombia, Colombia
Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
Institute of the Czech Left (ICL), Czech Republic
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