▲ Yoon Suk-goo, chairman of the Korea Financial Industry Union, holds up his headband during a general strike rally held on Sejong-daero, Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on the 4th.
The Korea Financial Industry Union held a general strike rally to denounce the government's policy to relocate public financial institutions to regional areas.
At the rally held on Sejong-daero in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, today (the 4th), a large number of union members from policy banks, who are directly affected by the regional relocation, participated. However, it was reported that no significant customer inconvenience occurred at business branches.
Yoon Suk-goo, chairman of the Financial Industry Union, pointed out, "Relocation discussions are proceeding without considering the roles of each financial institution and the clustering effects of the financial industry."
He emphasized, "We must remain in Seoul for the sake of South Korea's economy and financial competitiveness," adding, "This is not for political reasons, nor is it simply because we do not want to be separated from our families."
In its resolution, the Financial Industry Union criticized, "We cannot agree to a one-way regional relocation that ignores the characteristics of the financial industry and the lives of workers. Scattering the financial industry according to political needs will only undermine national financial competitiveness and cannot be a solution for balanced regional development."
Along with blocking the regional relocation, the union presented agendas such as the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, expansion of youth hiring, and real wage increases, demanding sincere negotiations from management.
Today's rally was spearheaded by union members from the so-called "three major policy banks," namely the Korea Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK).
This was because interest and participation levels were relatively high among union members of these banks, which are cited as relocation targets, amid the government's reaffirmation yesterday (the 3rd) of its principles for relocating public institutions to regional areas.
Representatively, it is estimated that about 1,900 to 2,000 members of the Korea Development Bank union—accounting for 80 to 90 percent of all union members—participated in the rally. For the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), about one-third of all employees, including union members from the Seoul headquarters and some 600 branches nationwide, joined.
As the government's regional relocation plans take concrete shape in the future, the strike participation rate and intensity are expected to increase further.
In particular, it is reported that plans to solidarity with other institutions mentioned as targets for regional relocation, such as the Financial Supervisory Service and the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, in addition to the three major policy banks, are also under review.
(Photo provided by Financial Industry Union, Yonhap News)
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