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. |
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At least it should be recognized that the issue of the resistance of labour to
neoliberal globalization is likely to be a far more complex issue , and is likely to
be played out within the internal politics of labour movements , as well as in
national ...
These disappointing amendments were largely a result of the manner in which
the cancellation of the strike had transformed labour law reform from an issue
dividing government and labour into an issue dividing ruling and opposition
parties .
Although it was predicted that the strike would not last the week , the KPWU strike
lasted a total of 38 days , and was considerably successful in drawing public
attention to the issue of privatization . According to a KCTU - commissioned
survey ...
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Neoliberal globalization labour and resistance | 12 |
The rise and fall of militant labour unionism in Korea | 52 |
Copyright | |
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