The Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) today welcomed the formal recognition by the government of the Republic of Korea of the KCTU (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions)  .

Established in 1995, the KCTU had made five earlier unsuccessful attempts to secure official recognition by the Seoul authorities.  KCTU members and officials have frequently been the subject of imprisonment and harassment while seeking to carry out normal trade union activities.

TUAC General-Secretary John Evans commented: “This legal recognition of the KCTU by the Korean government is a long overdue but important step towards the permanent institution of normal democratic labour rights in an OECD member country.  TUAC will continue to press for the further reform of Korean labour legislation to bring it in line with International Labour Organisation standards of freedom of association.”

Originally founded in 1948 at the time of the Marshall Plan, TUAC is an international non-governmental organisation holding consultative status with the OECD.  It groups some 55 national central organisations of trade unions representing 70 million workers in the 29 OECD Member countries.