[vol.20] [Voices from the workplace] Completing the struggle for "Abrogation of the Series System"
WORKING WOMAN 2008. 3. 21. 11:24Voice from the workplace 2.
Completing the struggle for
"Abrogation of the Series System"
Choon Jae Lee
Director of Women's Dept. of Korea Bank Trade Union
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The Series System is a new personnel affairs system introduced by Korea Bank in 1993. The system separates workers into two sections: general series and ordinary series. The workers under the general series do planning or analysis labor. The workers under the ordinary series do simple and repetitive kinds of work. The two series have differences in terms of the opportunities for training courses, post arrangements, promotions, and salaries. Most women workers belong to the ordinary series. In reality this means that women are far from promotion as the workers belonging to the ordinary series can only reach a certain stage of promotion. However, the workers belonging to the general series can be promoted to a much higher post. The system has different levels of salaries and limits in transferring working positions from and to the headquarter or branches. There has been much criticism made even within the bank that the system is like a class system. In the process of business restructuring, the workers belonging to the ordinary series were put on the dismissals list for reasons of their supposed "high cost and low effectiveness". In order to achieve just restructuring and the stabilization of employment, the series system must be abolished. The Korea Bank trade union conducted a poll targeting all the employees in February 1988 in order to establish the popularity of the new personnel affairs series system. The results of the research were: 17.1% for maintaining the system, 54.3% (50.2% from general series, 67.6% from the ordinary series) for abolishing the system, and 28.7% with no opinion. Based on the results of the research, the trade union set up a team to abolish the system. The team organized constant roundtable meetings with union members, defined some problems, and continued to work for the improvement of the system. The team also organized a seminar inviting some outside experts for the internal innovation of the central bank on August 28, 1998. In the seminar, active discussions took place between the bank and union members. In the beginning of 1998, the restructuring started under the name of honorary retirement. On April 1st, the Office of Bank Supervision and Examination was separated. The number of employees of the bank steeply decreased. Another poll was conducted in February 1999. In this research, it was confirmed that there were strong demands from the employees for the abolition of the series system (62.1% from general series and 72.55% from ordinary series). The improvement of the series system became the most essential mission and the president of the union, Mr. Chul Soo Kim expressed his strong will to this end. |
The trade union organized an open forum in each of the 35 branches in order to collect the opinions of the members. On May 7th and 8th, the union members from headquarters and branches gathered for a forum. In the forum, they made a resolution and consolidated their will to achieve their aim. In addition, the union worked for the realization of changes agreed in 1998 management and labor negotiations and has constantly worked through more negotiations. A standing committee was set up and the committee has conducted seven rounds of negotiations. However there have been lots of difficulties due to the conservative stand of the bank and the strong stand of the union. The negotiations did not go well. The union held a demonstration in front of the new headquarters building on July 16, 1999. It started at 7pm and lasted until 5am next morning. Over 400 members participated. In the demonstration, members consolidated their strong will to abolish the series system and demanded a fundamental renovation of the personnel affairs system. From July 19th, each branch conducted a protest demonstration. They wore uniforms and ribbons to illustrate their protest. From July 20, President Chul Soo Lee with some other union leaders began a hunger strike. In the process of the struggle, the bank tried to divide union members, and some of them began to leave the struggle. In spite of the strong wills affirmed during the demonstration, some union members took off their uniforms and the hunger strike was not expanded. Some of them understood that the struggle was mainly for the workers belonging to the ordinary series, and they had conflicting feelings. The struggle began to lose its passion. In spite of the difficulties, the president continued to hunger-strike and the union tried to maintain the standing committee through the changing of some members, and to continue to negotiate with the bank. It was getting very hot and yet the passion of the members was cooling. The union had to make a decision. At last the union signed the negotiation paper. The contents of the negotiation did not meet all demands of the union members, but it was a victory which led the bank to abolish the new personnel affairs system. The Korea Bank has provided the framework for a personnel affairs system which can work for every employee in a proper and just way. There are no longer the unfair differences which existed between the general and ordinary series. The unjust, unequal, and old-fashioned system has been ended by the united struggle of the union members. Now the Korea Bank will be one based on the new personnel affairs system. It is reborn as a central bank for the people of this country. |