CINA

Striking workers agreed Thursday to end their weeklong seizure of the headquarters of Posco, the world's fifth largest steelmaker, Yonhap news agency reported. The leadership of the unionists sent a written message to police that they would disperse voluntarily, Yonhap said without citing where that information came from.

Yonhap also said strikers began removing barricades they established inside the 12-story building in Pohang, about 230 miles southeast of Seoul, to bar police from reaching them.

Police spokesman Yoo Sang-ryol couldn't immediately confirm the report. But he said none of the strikers were coming out of the building.

Over 1,000 construction workers from companies doing subcontracting work for Posco have been on a sit-in at the steelmaker's headquarters since last Thursday. They started the strike after negotiations with their companies for higher wages and better working conditions failed.

Their reported decision to end the occupation came after the government warned of using force to break up the sit-in.

``We will carry out an operation soon to forcefully quell (the sit-in) unless (the strikers) disperse voluntarily,'' said Lee Taek-soon, chief of the National Police Agency, after touring the site, according to Kim Myung-jong, a police officer stationed in the port city.

Earlier in the day, the office of President Roh Moo-hyun hinted at sending riot police in to end the illegal occupation and warned that not only strike leaders, but also rank-and-file unionists would be punished for acting violently.

On Tuesday the government, which since last year has taken a harsh stance toward unrest in critical industries, offered to help defuse the standoff by offering to mediate if the workers ended the occupation, though said its patience was limited.

Police failed to evict the workers on Saturday when they raided the building. Posco employees have been unable to enter the building since the occupation began.

Posco estimates there are between 1,300 to 1,800 workers inside the building. About 3,500 police are on standby outside.

Posco said Thursday it cut off water supplies to the building after cutting off electricity Tuesday.

The strikers want Posco to get involved in their collective bargaining, as they believe their working conditions are tied to the steelmaker. Posco says it has no direct connection to the dispute, which it says is between the workers and their companies.

The steelmaker has reported no disruptions to steel production or shipments to customers, but has said the sit-in is costing the company 10 billion won (US$10.5 million; euro8.3 million) each day because of delays in construction projects.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5963560,00.html

SMASH CAPITALISM!!!