24개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Yesterday’s MSSC Struggle Report (2004/02/17)
After immigration officers captured Samar two days ago we decided to fight back. So today, as we announced, we’d another protest rally in front of Seoul (Mokdong) Immigration Office and we’d a special reason - beside Samar’s arrest - to demonstrate: we wanted to announce that our prisoners and some MSSC(Myeong-dong Sit-in Struggle Collective) members will go from Tuesday in hunger strike. From MSSC Radika, a woman from Nepal, Gaziman also from Nepal, Mamoon and Masum, both from Bangladesh will make a hunger strike “until 'KB'(Kul Bahadur Yakha), Enamul Haq and Samar are released from detention centers” according to the public statement they made on the rally. Inside the prisons Samar in Yeosu, K.B., Haq and surprisingly(actually it is not a surprise, it is just the fruit of our efforts to get solidarity...) their inmate in their cell, a migrant worker from Mongolia, started yesterday also an unlimited hunger strike.
The rally itself was a strong manifestation of our willingness not to give up our struggle for the labour and human rights of migrant workers in S. Korea...
Because we’d to learn, that behind the opposite police station many immigration officers were hiding, we finished the rally after 45 min and just wanted to take our buses back to Myeong-dong. But the immigration officers had supposed another plan: just they wanted to arrest us, nothing else. So, while we left the rally place to get our buses, waiting just some meters away, about 200 riot cops tried to block us and cleared the way for around 100 immigration officers, drawn together from Seoul, Uijeongbu and Incheon, who started to attack us from left, right and back. They just were trying to catch as many as possible from our group. But because of the strong efforts of our supporters [DLP (민주노동당), KEB Credit Card Union members, Hitech Korea Union members, Ji Min-joo, Yeon Yeong-seok, Norae gongjang members, student solidarity groups like SF and NOHAK etc./ THANX A LOT TO ALL OF YOU!!] our enemies were able to get only one MSSC member: comrade Gupta from Nepal. Partly it was our mistake that they got him and we’ll learn from it. Of course he is now also included in our demand to release all migrant workers activists from detention centers!
PS. Short before the beginning of the protest rally our Secretary for Int'l Solidarity was arrested while he was checking the situation on the spot. Three hours later he was released with the order to leave S. Korea within two weeks, otherwise… (ha, ha~ You can imagine his reaction?!)
MUST SEE(!!): "We're All Samar"(impressive docu video about the short rally and the following "battle" in front of Mokdong Immigration Office)
Ten years ago: Since 3 month dozens of migrant workers and some of their Korean supporters are occupying Myeongdong Cathedral’s compound in downtown Seoul. The following documentary, produced and published by our (deceased)comrade Lee Sang-hyeon(aka "Hong Gil-dong in the Forest"), depicts how comrade Samar got kidnapped by immigration officers(*)...
* ETU-MB report(2004.2.16): Yesterday struggling migrant workers could celebrate exactly three month of Myeong-dong Sit-in Struggle Collective (MSSC) - since Nov 15 last year migrant workers and there Korean supporters are occupying Myeong-dong Cathedrals compound to protest against South Korean government’s policy of manhunt and mass deportation - and Immigration Office wanted to make a special "birthday present".
At noon 12:35 four immigration officers captured Samar Thapa, the chief of ETU-MB’s (Equality Trade Union – Migrants’ Branch) current Emergency Struggle Committee. Samar Thapa just wanted to meet activists from the Philippines when he was attacked and captured by immigration officers by using extreme force to get him in the waiting car. It is to assume that Immigration Office or police bug his telephone, because already the night before Samar Thapa made the appointment with the Philippine activists.
Other activists of MSSC only few minutes from him away had a street propaganda action on the "Philippine Marked" in Hyehwa-dong. They collected signatures against the voluntarily self-deportation the South Korean government demanded from all so-called “illegal” migrant workers. Actually after the meeting with KASAMMAKO (Filipino migrants community) activists Samar Thapa wanted to join the propaganda action...
Of course ETU-MB and MSSC are strong demanding the immediate release of Samar Thapa - the immigration officers directly brought him to Yosu Deportation Prison Center in the south of the Korean Peninsula - but also the release of the other MSSC members, Kul Bahadur Yakha and Enamul Haq, now since more than one month in deportation Prison. KCTU/ETU-MB sees this newest attack as a direct action to smash migrant’s trade union and the whole migrant workers movement.
Directly after the bad news became known the Korean MSSC members, supporters and the international secretary of ETU-MB went to Mokdong Immigration Office to protest against Samar’s abduction. During the rally it came to a short clash between the demonstrators and riot cops, numerous present on the spot.
Last week Korea Times wrote: “Lim (an official at the Residence Control Division of the Justice Ministry) said the Justice Ministry will carry out joint efforts with the National Police Agency to crack down on any illegal aliens in the country starting next month.” According to the International Secretary of ETU-MB it is as a direct warning to the address of the struggling members of MSSC and all migrant workers in South Korea, refusing to leave voluntarily the country.
Two days ago I posted a short piece about a press conference/protest rally to condemn the "Africa Museum of Original Art"(located in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province) for its massive violation of labor and human rights...
One day later a Hankyoreh reporter visited the "residence" of African migrant workers who are working in this slave-like conditions at the "Africa Museum of Original Art" in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province and his impressive report you can(MUST!) read here.
The same newspaper published one day before an article about the protest and some detailed background info: "African museum performers protest working in slave-like conditions"... and even the (bourgeois)Korea Times mentioned the issue: "Museum accused of exploiting African artists"
The Marmott's Hole added y'day: "African slavery in Pocheon? That there’s foreign laborer exploitation going on in a place like Pocheon should be as surprising as a French president having an affair. What’s IS interesting, though, is that the director of the museum just happens to be the Saenuri Party’s general secretary..."
PS. No comment(^^):
Y'day, as a part of the "Global Day of Action to Free Cambodian Garment Workers", KCTU, together with FKTU and KTNC Watch staged a protest action in front of Cambodian Embassy in Seoul(here you'll get an impressive report, written by the 'Korean Health &Medical Workers' Union'/보건의료노조!!).
More than 30 representatives from different KCTU affiliates including KMWU, KHMU, KGEU, KPTU, KTU and MTU held pickets and chanted together: "Free the 23!" "Respect Labour Rights" "Living Wage for Workers Now"
Yoo Ki-soo, Secretary General of KCTU said "One month ago, we were here to ask the government's responsibility for the bloody repression against the workers' strike for higher wage. Trade unions, civil society, UN and ILO, even the global major fashion brands have demanded a through investigation on the killings and a fair and inclusive process for determining a new minimum wage. However, while the government is keeping silence, not the perpetrators of the killing but workers are still in jail. Korean workers who joined strikes are facing the same repression. Imprisonment, Damage compensation claim, dismissal... Today's action is more than giving solidarity. Workers in two countries are in the same situation. We want to struggle with Cambodian workers to solve the common problems together. We are one!" Choe Mi-kyeong, Executive Director of Korean House for International Solidarity(KHIS) denounced the collusion between Korean Companies operating in Cambodia and the military forces who engaged in the bloody repression.
After the action, 4 representatives of the groups met Mr.SAMEN SOKHA, counselor in charge of labour affairs to deliver our concerns and demand. The government representative repeatedly said "In democratic society, anyone who want to enjoy their right to strike or right to protest should respect laws. The 23 violated laws by blocking roads." "the opposition party, CNRP is behind the protest." "Our government should respect the international standard but we also should protect the property rights of those who do business in Cambodia." mentioning nothing about the death of the 4 workers.
At the same time in Ansan(Gyeonggi-do): Cambodian dismissed workers went out to unite for joining the global struggle against the Cambodian gov't to release the 23 detained strikers immediately...
Related article:
☞ 아프리카박물관 가보니 '설국열차 꼬리칸' (노컷뉴스, 2.10)
Today's press conference/protest rally(supported by KCTU, MTU etc...) in Seoul to condemn the "Africa Museum of Original Art"(located in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province) for its massive violation of migrant workers' rights...
More related articles(published a short while after the press conference^^) you can read here:
☞ 아프리카박물관 가보니 '설국열차 꼬리칸' 노컷뉴스(2.10)
☞ “아프리카박물관은 삶과 예술을 죽였어요”... (경향신문, 2.10)
☞ 월급 60만원·하루 밥값 4천원…아프리카 예술단 ‘노예노동’ (한겨레, 2.10)
☞ '노예노동' 홍문종·'5억특혜' 한선교 카메라 들이대자... "말도 안 되는 소리" (OMN, 2.10)
☞ "꿈 갖고 한국 왔지만 악몽 됐다" (레디앙, 2.10)
☞ “한국 올때 꿈을 가지고 왔지만 악몽으로 바뀌었다” (미디어 오늘, 2.10)
When his teenage daughter Yu-mi landed a job at the electronics company Samsung, Hwang Sang-ki was bursting with pride. Yu-mi would bring in enough money to support her struggling family and, she was hoping, it would pay her younger brother's way through university.
But in 2007, five years after she began work at one of the semiconductor plants of the South Korean consumer electronics firm, Yu-mi died, on the back seat of her father's taxi as he rushed her to hospital...(Guardian, 2.05)
A film based on the death of a Samsung Electronics employee was released in South Korea, with its producer complaining of difficulties in securing screens despite high viewer interest. "Another Promise" is a fictionalised account of the story of Hwang Yu-Mi, a real-life employee who died in 2007 of an acute form of leukaemia after working for four years at one of Samsung's semiconductor plants...(Times of India, 2.06)
A detailed film review you can read here!
On the morning of February 6, "Another Promise"(aka "Another Family"), a film about the true story of Hwang Yu-mi who died of leukemia while working at Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant released in theaters despite talk of outside pressure and problems with a lack of screens.
But despite it was the opening day, not a single poster was hanging in the theater. Last Thursday, many other film posters were displayed in the CGV theater in Seoul’s Guro district, but none for "Another Promise". But even in the morning, many viewers were already there to watch the film, which has had troubles being produced and shown. More than 80% of seats for the 9:50 am showing had been sold for the premiere(more about the event you can read here and here)...
More articles, related to the movie you can read here:
☞ Film on Samsung workers suspiciously pulled from screens (Hankyoreh, 2.06)
☞ Film spotlights claims of sickness linked to Samsung plants (Guardian, 2.05)
☞ Movie depicting Samsung leukemia victims’ struggle... (Hankyoreh, 2.02)
☞ Movie Details Samsung Worker's Battle With Cancer (HuffPost, 13.10.10)
Today's TOP STORY, at least for the S. Korean workers' movement: An appellate court ordered Ssangyong Motor to reinstate 153 fired workers, overturning a lower court ruling which backed the carmaker’s mass layoff in 2009. The Seoul High Court said that the company’s decision should be invalidated citing its failure to make every effort to avoid the dismissal. The court also said it was based on an incorrect audit report... (for more detailed info, please check out LabourStart!)
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