Firefighters work to put out a fire at KT Corp.’s building in the Ahyeon district, central Seoul, on Nov. 24, 2018. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s first labor union for firefighters is set to be inaugurated in the latter half of this year.
On Monday, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions held a press conference in Seoul regarding the establishment of a preparatory committee for the inauguration of the nation’s first firefighter labor union.
The committee aims to inaugurate the firefighter labor union on July 6, when the revised Public Service Union Act that allows firefighters to join a labor union will take effect.
It picked the chronic shortage of firefighting personnel, the obsolescence of equipment and posttraumatic stress disorders suffered by firefighters as the main issues to address.
At present, the number of firefighters nationwide is estimated at about 60,000.
Some have voiced concern about the establishment of the labor union, saying that it could give rise to a public safety risk if the union goes on strike.
However, given that even the revised Public Service Union Act maintains a provision banning public officials from striking, it would be impossible for firefighters to go on strike.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
