Yoon warns of stern response to illegal practices at construction sites

• Published date: 22 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Tuesday of "stern" action against illegal practices at construction sites, saying their negative consequences are being passed on to the people and the state would not deserve its name if it left them unattended.

Yoon made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting where officials were set to discuss ways to root out what the government describes as illegal and unfair practices at construction sites.

"Militant labor unions with vested rights continue to overtly carry out illegal actions at construction sites, such as demanding money and goods, forcing hiring and obstructing construction," Yoon said.

"As a result, workers are losing their jobs and construction is being poorly done. The damage is being passed on to the people, with delays in the opening of new elementary schools and move-ins to new apartments," he added.

Construction unions affiliated with the country's two major umbrella labor organizations ? the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions ? have been accused of coercing employers to hire their union members for construction jobs.

Yoon's remark came a day after he warned of similar stern action against labor unions that refuse to disclose their account books.

"If we see violence and illegal action but do nothing about it, we cannot be called a state," he said at the Cabinet...