Office workers in Yeouido stepping out to eat during their lunch break (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 5 (Korea Bizwire) –A recent survey conducted by the civic group Gabjil 119, in collaboration with Global Research, reveals that while a significant portion of employees recognize the necessity of labor unions in the workplace, many are hesitant to join, particularly within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), due to fears of potential disadvantages.
The online survey, conducted on February 2 and 3, targeted 1,000 working adults nationwide, with a margin of error of ±3.1% at a 95% confidence level.
According to the findings, 71.4% of respondents affirmed the need for workplace unions, citing benefits such as employment stability (89.4%), improved welfare benefits (88.4%), wage increases (84.5%), and protection against workplace harassment and unfair treatment (84%).
However, the reality for many SME employees is a reluctance to join unions, primarily due to concerns over workplace repercussions, with 39.1% of respondents citing this as a deterrent.
Other reasons for not joining included a lack of trust in existing union activities (34.4%), the burden of union dues and rally participation (31.9%), and high barriers to union membership (19.9%).
When asked whether they believed the major labor federations were making efforts to address the issues of non-unionized workers, over half (57.3%) responded negatively, while 42.7% felt otherwise.
In response to these findings, Gabjil 119 plans to organize an ‘online union’ in the first half of this year, aiming to provide a more accessible platform for union membership and activism across various industries.
Park Sung-woo, the labor attorney heading the online union initiative, stated, “The current system of company-specific collective bargaining inevitably leads to company-specific unions and creates barriers for smaller groups of employees who wish to form a union. An industry-specific online union could be a viable solution for those eager to join and actively participate in a union.”
Gabjil 119 intends to prioritize membership recruitment for sectors where consulting and reporting cases are frequent, and union formation is challenging due to small scale, such as small clinics, social welfare facilities, and roles like instructors and trainers, starting this month.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
