H R Hahm, a correspondent from the Korean daily interviewed C S Kwak, a managing director of ATI Logistics b.v., about the recent unrest between labor coalition and management in logistics business in Korea. Mr. Kwak showed a deep concern about the strikes that were initiated twice in this year by truckers’ coalition. He has never seen the strikes by workers of ports or logistics in the Netherlands until now for past twenty years. Indeed, in the Netherlands, both labour unions of ports and logistics are considered to be more hard-liners than is the other.

 As to strikes initiated by truckers that gave Korea huge blackout in logistics. He put it like this. “Netherlands’ labor-management model as it is can not be applied to Korea.” He expresses his perspective over labour management model of the Netherlands as if he takes consideration of recent spark that emerged after Korean policy chief suggested import of labor-management model from The Netherlands.

 “We (Korea) should learn their way and process in which they get consensus among each groups with contrast or different interests. Since Wassenaar agreement in 1982 that ruled the needed consensus and decrease in wage to cope with the economic crisis early 1980s, SER (Social & Economic Council) which consist of 33 delegations from labor union, management union, and experts has made recommendation on the required labor-management policy based on economic and social situation. Based on the recommendation, the labor foundation or each organization draws their own labor-management policy by negation between labor and management. They try to focus on economic and social (labor) matters commonly accepted rather than on different interests. From the common aims, the two parties try to derive each detailed policies such as wage raise level, job security, and participation in management. And then they approach the negotiation table after putting their thinking cap on give-ups and takes.”

 “What really worries me about Korean labor-management relation at the moment is what unions and trucker coalitions are aiming: rice cakes which will perish soon as Korean economic reputation is gone away? Had they foreseen the economic balance sheet after hard strikes, they could not even think of initiating that kind of striking events.”

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