Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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South Korean trade union leader WOL-SAN LIEM speaks to Navid Shomali about the continuing struggles of the labour movement and her hopes for a lasting peace in the region
Wol-san Liem
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Navid Shomali (NS): Please briefly tell us about your union.
Wol-san Liem: Our union organises both permanently employed and precariously employed — part-time, subcontracted etc — workers at public institutions, social care workers and public and private transport workers. We have almost 200,000 members, are affiliated to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and are the largest industrial union in South Korea.
NS: How much influence does the trade union movement possess in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), in terms of collective bargaining, economic policy and also more broadly in terms of the political agenda?
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