Korean strikers go back to work

The power workers had been striking for over a month

Power workers in Korea have called off their 38-day strike against privatisation after a trade union federation managed to reach a deal with the government and called off its own sympathetic action.

The decision averts for the moment the risk that the World Cup, due to take place in Japan and Korea later this year, could be dogged by power shortages.

The government said on Wednesday that it hoped private companies would manage to agree delays to the long-drawn-out annual wage negotiations, so they would not disrupt the World Cup either.

But it remains unclear whether the 4,000 strikers - some of whom have been sacked for refusing to turn up to work - have secured protection for their jobs.

Still obscure

Their union has not yet signed up to the deal reached between the government and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).

It has also warned its members not to sign any documents they are given when they return to work at the state-owned Korea Electric Power Corp's 38 thermal power stations on Saturday 6 April.

KEPCO says it will not sack anyone back at work on Saturday, although it does not guarantee not to punish workers for breaching rules banning public sector strikes and the 342 people sacking for organising the action are likely to remain out of a job.

And the KCTU-government deal remains frustratingly vague.

A clause excluding "bargaining on the privatisation of power plants" has been interpreted by the government as indicating union submission to the selloff plans, while some union officials say it means the privatisation is off the cards.

Job fears

The government wants to sell off a number of underperforming state-owned utilities and other businesses, as part of the process of recovering from the 1997-8 Asian currency crisis.

KEPCO is among them, and the power workers - worried about their jobs after the sell-off - took to the streets on 25 February.

Support from other workers - as well as university students, traditionally in the vanguard in Korean protest circles - has been strong.

The KCTU, the second largest union grouping in the country, had planned a 140,000-strong general strike in sympathy, but called it off on Tuesday after talks with the government.

The general public has showed little backing for the strike, and power shortages were averted by redeploying staff and hiring replacement workers.