S.Korean umbrella union to hold large-scale rally

A major South Korean umbrella labour union said on Thursday that it will hold a large-scale rally in Seoul next week when its members walk off their jobs for a one-day general strike to call for the enhancement of labour rights.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of the country's two umbrella labour organisations, said it will push ahead with its plan to stage a strike on October 20, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The KCTU said its members from Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi province and the city of Incheon, west of Seoul, will gather in the capital to hold the massive rally.

The group plans to call for the enhancement of labour rights, such as the abolition of non-regular employment and general revision of labour laws, in a bid to put a spotlight on labour issues ahead of next year's presidential election.

The government has urged the KCTU to refrain from staging a walkout and a rally.

"We have continuously called upon the government to resolve labour issues for workers who suffered the most from Covid-19, but the government tried to muzzle us without giving an answer," the KCTU said, accusing the government of attempting to restrict freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution.

Earlier this week, the Seoul city government said it decided to ban the planned rally.


The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it will sternly respond to any illegal acts - IANS