Korean Workers and Neoliberal GlobalizationOne of the most remarkable aspects of South Korea's transition from impoverished post-colonial nation to fully-fledged industrialized democracy has been the growth of its independent and dynamic labour movement. Korean Workers and Neoliberal Globalisation examines current trends and transformations within the Korean labour movement since the 1990s. It has been a common assumption that the 'third wave' of democratisation, the end of the Cold War, and the spread of neoliberal globalisation in the latter part of the 20th century have helped to create an environment in which organised labour is better placed to overcome bureaucratic national unionism and transform itself into a potential counter-globalisation movement. However, Kevin Gray argues that despite the apparent continued phenomena of labour militancy and the rhetoric of anti-neoliberalism, the mainstream independent labour movement in Korea has become increasingly institutionalised and bureaucratised into the new capitalist democracy. This process is demonstrated by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' experience of participation in various forms of policy making forums. Gray suggests that as a result, the KCTU has failed to mount an effective challenge against processes of neoliberal restructuring and concomitant social polarisation. The Korean experience provides an excellent case study for understanding the relationship between organised labour and globalisation. Korean Workers and Neoliberal Globalisation will appeal to students and scholars of Korean studies and International Political Economy, as well as Asian politics and economics. |
From inside the book
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... Unions for Solidarity Confederation of South African Trade Unions Council of Occupational Trade Unions Democratic Labor Party Federation of Korean Trade Unions Employment Insurance System Export oriented industrialization Economic ...
... Trade Unions ( Cosatu ) in 1985. The industrial unions had their origins in the early 1970s , as economic development led to rapid growth in the size of the semi - skilled black African working class . These industrial unions differed ...
... Trade union internationalism in the age of Seattle ' , in P. Waterman and J. Wills ( eds ) Place , Space and the New Labour Internationalism , Oxford : Blackwell . Waterman ( 2004 ) ' Adventures of emancipatory labour strategy as the ...
Contents
Neoliberal globalization labour and resistance | 12 |
Globalization crisis and the entrenchment | 31 |
The rise and fall of militant labour unionism in Korea | 52 |
Copyright | |
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