South Korean Trade Union Movement at the Crossroads: A Critique of “Social-Movement” Unionism

Abstract

This paper is a critique of the social movement unionism (SMU) theory. Arguing that characteristics of social movement unions reflect the very contradictory nature of unions under capitalism, it renders a view that the SMU theory romanticizes so-called social movement type unions (the COSATU in South Africa, the CUT in Brazil, and the KCTU in South Korea) and falls short of prescriptive measures for social transformation and a clear vision of a future society. Focusing on the case of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and Democratic Labor Party (DLP) in South Korea, it examines whether the SMU theory can adequately address the limitations of the current trade union movement in South Korea.