The Federation of Korean Trade Unions’ decision to nullify the grand social compromise reached last September is another reminder of how selfish Korea’s major labor groups are and how good they are at political maneuvering.

The FKTU said Monday that its executive council decided to withdraw from the agreement of the tripartite committee and that it would make an official announcement Tuesday if the government does not change its position by that time. It is apparent that by giving a week’s notice, the FKTU wanted to avoid the criticism of taking a unilateral decision.

The FKTU cited the government and ruling party’s push for five labor reform bills and the government’s recent proposal for new guidelines on layoffs and employment rules. The labor bills are pending at the National Assembly while the new guidelines do not require parliamentary approval.

The new layoff guideline is aimed at increasing flexibility in the labor market by allowing employers to dismiss underperforming workers. Unions insist that employers will abuse the guideline, but the guideline contains strict rules -- so strict that it led to protests from employers -- such as requiring employers to administer a strict evaluation system and offer training and reassignment opportunities before dismissing workers who fail to meet the evaluation standards.

Such reform is long overdue, with the recent economic situation adding to its urgency: the rising U.S. interest rates, China’s slowdown, financial instability in emerging markets and low oil prices.

All these come on top of the dwindling exports, slump in key manufacturing sectors like shipbuilding, semiconductors, auto and steel, which result in an increase of marginal firms and large-scale layoffs.

The employment cliff is not a possibility but a reality, with youths struggling to land jobs and the gap between regular workers and part-timers/temporary workers widening.

All considered, the FKTU’s decision to revoke the agreement and derail the all-important labor reform is ill-advised. The government and the tripartite committee should not give up their efforts to persuade the FKTU to return to the negotiation table, but they should be ready to enforce the reform programs -- not least the two guidelines which do not require parliamentary approval -- eventually.