5112개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Last Saturday(8.15) S. Korea celebrated the Liberation Day (i.e. the 64th anniversary of liberation from the Japanese colonial rule) and thousands of workers, students, civil right activists.. in Seoul used this opportunity to demonstrate for a social and fair/just society.
But the LMB administration wasn't impressed, not really! And so it sent the riot cops! And they weren't hesitant to perform their own (already well-known) 'show'!
Video activist comrade "Hong Gil-dong in the Forest" recorded the cops' 'performance' and you can watch his impressive (MUST SEE!!) piece here.
Comrade "Hong Gil-dong in the Forest"(rev. video activist) interviews comrade "Dope"(activist/DJ, Yongsan Candlelight Media Center/Media Redevelopment Action Radio):
2009.6.9 , 행동하는 라디오 언론재개발 .. 진행자 돕헤드 동지 인터뷰
Already three days ago I supposed that - although the SsangYong strike ended last Thursday - the struggle isn't over yet, because now the ruling class will retaliate...
And the following report in today's Hankyoreh - unfortunately - validates my presumption:
Police arrest 64 Ssangyong Motors union members
Some 64 members of the Ssangyong Motors labor union have been arrested following their participation in the recent sit-in strike at the company’s Pyeongtaek factory, including all of the core union leaders and a number of workers.
Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Ssangyong Motors chapter of KMWU,
was arrested before y'day(8.10)
Prosecutors and police have even raised the specter of communism during the investigation, claiming, “Outside forces with a strongly pro-communist character were involved in the strike.” (*) In response to this hardline response by prosecutors and police, labor is warning that another strike similar to the one at Ssangyong’s Pyeongtaek factory could result from the administration’s public security witch-hunt that destroys the spirit of labor-management consensus.
Judges Jeong U-yeong and Jeong Ha-jeong of the Pyeongtaek branch of Suwon District Court issued arrest warrants Tuesday morning for 38 of the 42 workers for whom warrants were requested for violating the Law on Punishment of Violent Acts, obstructing the performance of official duties, and obstructing operations. The two judges cited sufficient grounds for criminal charges and flight risk as reasons for issuing the warrants for the workers, including one for Han Sang-kyun, the head of the Ssangyong Motors chapter of the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU). Han and the other workers are also being investigated for acts of violence against police officers and the company’s security personnel during the occupation of the factory from May 21 to August 6, and for using illegal weapons such as Molotov cocktails and air rifles.
These arrests, together with the 26 workers that had previously been detained, bring the total number of detainees in connection with the Ssangyong Motors strike up to 64. This is the largest number of detentions since police brought in 58 union members following the Posco union’s sit-in at the Posco headquarters in Pohang in May 2006. It also appears likely to mark the biggest public security incident in 12 years, if the 1997 arrest of 195 individuals at the inauguration of the South Korean Federation of University Student Councils (Hanchongryun) is included. Police announced that they had received warrants Tuesday for the arrest of two additional individuals connected with the union, and that they had requested that a total of 68 people report in, of which 12 are individuals who are unaffiliated with the union.
As of Sunday, prosecutors have also announced that “outside forces with a strongly pro-communist character” were involved in the Ssangyong Motors strike, including individuals with a prior history of violating the National Security Law. “We confiscated ideological documents and illegal weaponry, and uncovered an attempt to establish a military committee,” prosecutors reported. However, the security investigation division of the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency, which actually conducted the investigation of the case, was unable to apply charges of violating the National Security Law against any of the individuals. This suggests that baseless charges of communist sympathies have been pinned on workers who waged a strike against large-scale layoffs.
Observers are also commenting on the fact that prosecutors and police have been focusing on the actions of the union while ignoring the illegal and violent acts perpetrated by the company and the police. There has been no mention of an apology from police, let alone criminal punishment, for the indiscriminate assaults on fallen union members during their August 6 entry into the factory. Moreover, although company employees were booked without detention, none have been arrested for attacking members of civic groups with pieces of wood in front of the factory‘s main gate on August 5 and 6. Police are also doing nothing about the fact that the company violated the Fire Services Act by cutting off electricity and water for fire hydrants, violated the Emergency Medical Service Act by preventing medical personnel from entering or exiting the occupied factory, and violated basic human rights by blocking individuals from bringing the workers water and food.
Civic groups and labor organizations are unanimous in criticizing the hardline and anti-labor stance of the prosecutors and police and accusing them of ignoring the spirit of compromise between labor and management. At a press conference Sunday, a representative of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, to which the Ssangyong union belongs, said that the law was being “applied in a biased manner against labor union officials and people who opposed layoffs, while not a single arrest has been made for the excessive force and illegal and violent acts of police officers or for acts of brutality on the part of the company‘s security personnel”
“If the administration goes against the people’s desire for mutual benefits of labor and management, a fierce struggle is inevitable,” the union claimed.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/370801.html
* Well, I already feared such a development!! But more about it later..
MTU released today following statement:
EPS, the Failed System
After 5 years of the Employment Permit System's effectivity it has provided jobs for more than 100,000 workers from poor Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines and many other countries. Indeed it has provided opportunities for those who are financially disadvantaged and it has also succeeded in contributing to the economies of their homeland. On the Korean side, the workforce has provided labor. Labor that powers the Korean industries. Industries that made Korea what it is today, a "Tiger Economy". The labor force that powers the Korean industries also contribute to the Korean economy by being consumers, investors and tax payers.
In this aspect it has mutually benefitted both the host country and the sending country. On the other hand, although the system may have alleviated the migrant worker in terms of finance it can not be claimed that the migrant workers hold financial and job security. It is more evident now in light of the current economic crisis. Quite a considerable number of migrant workers have resigned, lost or are on the verge of losing their jobs due to very little work load, bankruptcy, unpaid wages, wage cuts etc.
These are but few of the reasons why migrant workers are disadvantaged by the current system of employment. Although it may be true for Koreans too, the company and government policy requires that native Korean workers should have priority in terms of employment security.
The flawed system of employment aims to assure the stability of the labor force for Korean employers and yet the same system also fails to secure the migrant workers Labor and Human rights thereby presenting relational imbalance between migrant workers and the Korean employers.
The limitation of the migrant workers to change workplaces aims to limit the mobility of migrant workers. In effect, most migrant workers would suffer and endure labor law violations committed by their employers in exchange for job security.
In principle, according to the current system, the migrant workers share the same rights and are due to the same benefits that Korean workers have. In reality, it does not hold true. Even government agencies that were supposed to promote and protect the rights of the workers will immediately aid employers instead of workers in resolving cases and labor problems. An example of this is, during the time of a workers release, the Korean Job Centers do not even verify the real reason why a contract between a migrant worker and an employer is terminated. Thus, in the event of a worker losing his employment for reasons that were not attributable to him/her was recorded as mutual agreement for termination of contract, he/she loses the right to a fourth workplace change. In this instance, the worker is left with the choice of staying in his/her company and endure his unfortunate situation or risk losing his E-9 visa status and work as an undocumented worker.
Majority of the Korean Small and Medium Scale companies either lack in-depth knowledge of the Korean Labor Law or simply refuse to follow what the law stipulates. It is obvious therefore that workers have very limited options when it comes to employment opportunities.
Another restriction that the Employment Permit System that is oppressive to the migrant workers is the three year restriction. Due to the short-term employment migrant workers have very limited earning potential. Therefore to compensate for this limitation, the migrant workers are left with no choice but to work harder and longer taking fewer rest hours and rest days. This enables them to earn more but at the expense of their health and safety. Industrial accidents usually occur when workers are not alert due to fatigue and lack of sleep. Aside from accidents workers also suffer from long-term health issues that may or may not be covered by industrial accident insurances and may require long-term medication or therapy. These may range from stress-related injuries/illnesses, respiratory ailments, blood poisoning(heavy metal poisoning), muscle and nerve damage, etc. In effect, the earnings that the have incurred during their stay in Korea would not even be enough to cover the health and medical cost when they return to their home countries.
Another factor in the current systems ineffectiveness may not be immediately evident but the effects are more long-term. The migrant worker under the current system is unable to protect the family as a basic unit. The migrant workers are not allowed to take up temporary residency in Korea with their families and therefore the familial relationship of the migrant worker is continously threatened. Relationships between husband and wife are stressed without constant communication and inter-action. Children spending their time growing-up without a father or a mother figure may lead to problems in the future. A child with an absentee parent would usually lack the essential value(child -parent relationship) of the family unit and would find other people or other ways to compensate for this lack. These supplementary relationships or activity cannot adequately fill these needs and in some cases, it has even led to more problems like drug addiction, hostility and a lack of distinction between what is right and wrong, or what is morally acceptable and unacceptable.
The current economis crisis has also made evident the imbalance between the Korean workers and the migrant workers. Employers enjoy the benefits of hiring migrant workers. Knowing that these restrictions limit the rights of the migrant workers they are inspired to abuse and disregard the migrant workers rights. Given the choice between workers they CAN abuse and workers(Koreans) whose rights they CAN'T abuse, they would rather employ migrant workers than native workers. Under the current economic crisis, migrant workers are being blamed for taking away the jobs that should have been for Korean workers. But the truth is, the system is to blame for this situation. If the law is applied equally, there should be equal opportunity and protection for everyone.
These are but some of the few cases that would reflect the ineffectiveness of the current system. The Emploment Permit System is flawed and it has failed to secure for migrant workers the most basic human and constitutional right, the right to live for the pursuit of happiness.
Related articles:
☞ S.Korea: EPS Bill Passes Nat'l Assembly (LabourNet UK, 2003.8.05)
☞ Employment Permit Bill Passes National Assembly (Base21, 2003/08)
MUST READ!!
Pyongyang Strikes Back: North Korean Policies of 2002–08
by Andrei Lankov
Lankov's analysis, published last month in Asia Policy 8, explains why the North Korean (aka DPRK) regime has attempted to reassert state control over society - which had been eroding from 1994–2002 - and offers predictions regarding the impact that this shift will likely have on North Korean society.
Main Argument
From 1994 to 2002 North Korean society changed tremendously: state-run industry collapsed, the rationing system ceased to function, and free-market activity, though still technically illegal or semi-legal, became most citizen’s major source of income. Although not initiated by the gov't, in 2002 some of these spontaneous changes won the belated and conditional approval of the regime.
The evidence emerging in the last three to four years demonstrates, however, that the North Korean government has chosen not to tolerate those changes. This policy of recrudescence, while economically self-destructive, makes political sense because the existence of an affluent and free South Korea makes North Korea far more insecure. The leadership in Pyeongyang has reason to believe that any domestic liberal reform in North Korea would lead to a regime collapse.
Policy Implications
- Pyeongyang’s decision to reject reformist policies is based on a rational and well-informed assessment of North Korea’s domestic and international situation. Therefore, the outside world can do very little to influence the regime’s position, and thus there is no chance of meaningful reform in North Korea in the foreseeable future as long as the current regime remains in power.
- Because the current policy makes sustainable economic growth impossible, the North Korean regime will need to rely on stratagems to secure vital foreign aid, with the U.S. being one of the main (but not only) targets of these maneuvers. The "North Korean problem" will remain a part of the international landscape in the foreseeable future.
- If the current attempt by the regime at counter-reform fails, this failure will create additional avenues for influencing the North Korean government from within.
The entire analysis (26-page paper, PDF file) you can download here!
Related article:
☞ Pyongyang turns back the clock (A. Times, 6.25)
1.) As it is already known: last Thursday(8.06), after 77 days of strike, occupation and partly bloody battles between the striking workers and thousands of attacking riot cops (incl. SWAT/anti-terror units) and private "security guards" the "conflict" between SsangYong Motors and the labour union (KMWU/SsangYong Branch) ended without further bloodshed...
But ultimately the struggle isn't over yet! Because now - surprise, surprise!! - the ruling class will retaliate (*), i.e. they will try to take "legal action" against the former strikers to punish as many as possible, as hard as possible!
* If the S.K. and int'l labour and solidarity movement can't defeat their plan!!
2.) Last Friday(8.07) KCTU published following about the...
Agreement (that) was Reached at Ssangyong Motors
Dear Colleagues,
Solidarity Greetings from KCTU!
On Thursday(August 6th), agreement was reached between Ssangyong Motors management and workers. KMWU Ssangyong Motors Branch brought a 77-day sit-in strike to an end. The main contents of the agreement are as follows.
-> Union members who are affected by the layoffs, are allowed to make a choice of unpaid leave, transfers to sales positions, transfers to spin-offs, or voluntary resignation. 48 % of restructured people are being given unpaid leave or are being transferred to sales positions, and 52 % are voluntarily resigning or shifting to spin-offs. (However, what is the '100%' out of which the ratio is applied is subject to additional negotiations for details.)
-> After one year, depending on production levels, workers on unpaid leave are allowed to engage in job rotation and 2-day work shift system will be implemented. Workers who are transferred into sales positions will be provided with wages of 500,000 Won per month for one year.
-> Workers who take an unpaid leave, transfer to sales positions or voluntarily retire during this restructuring period will be fairly reinstated or rehired if a demand for new workers arises in the future as a result of an improvement in the company’s financial situation.
-> An additional two-month voluntary retirement allowance will be paid to workers taking unpaid leave or retiring voluntarily, while livelihood security support, such as job placement, will be provided in cooperation with central and local governments and cooperating firms.
-> The management will withdraw criminal proceedings against the trade union and its members in order to encourage good willingness for the revival of Ssangyong Motors. Civil liability will be also called off when the company’s revival plan is approved.
As for the KCTU’s position on the agreement, please see the below statement. But at this moment, we would like to point out that 96 strikers have been jailed, immediately transported from the sit-in strike to the police jail. We are very concerned that arrested people will be facing serious prison sentences and the union will face massive legal fees. In this regard, we are kindly requesting you to keep your eyes on this case continuously. We will keep you informed on any development of Ssangyong workers who are taken into custody.
Finally, we would like to emphasize that international solidarity and pressure contributed enormously to bring a peaceful settlement of the dispute. We would like to extend upmost appreciation for your great support and solidarity for the Ssangyong Motors Workers.
In Solidarity,
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU)
**********
[Attached]
KCTU Statement on Agreement between Ssangyong Motors Management and Workers
The Struggle against Layoffs will Continue!
The management and trade union of Ssangyong Motors held their final round of talks today (6th August) and came to an agreement. The KCTU respects the decisions of KMWU Ssangyong Motors Branch, of coming to an agreement through dialogue to prevent further catastrophe. We firmly reaffirm that the inhumane and potentially deadly actions taken by police and management during the course of the strike are acts that cannot be condoned. Innocent workers are still being made to bear the brunt of this economic crisis and the poorly-conceived sell-off of companies to foreign capital. If these circumstances persist, the KCTU warns that the struggle against unjust dismissals can re-spark anytime, anywhere.
The struggle of KMWU Ssangyong Motors Branch is the result of bad contradictory economic policies. The management and government initially caused and then precipitated the crisis. They had continuously looked for ways to bash the union. Workers were forced through mass dismissals to pay for bad management practices. The government had pushed ahead with the sell-off of Ssangyong Motors to Shanghai Motors, which then withdrew after profiteering, driving Ssangyong to bankruptcy. Furthermore, we witnessed the worst forms of human rights violations such as cutting off the electricity, water and medicine, and the clashes in front of the plant was also very serious. Thus, the lesson to be learnt from this crisis is that the government must revise its substandard economic and labour policies while the management must do away with its union-bashing attitude and practices such as refusing to recognize the trade union as a dialogue partner.
The agreement between Ssangyong Motor labour and management will not automatically lead to normalization of production. The forthcoming revival process of Ssangyong Motors may entail more confrontation. Both government and management must realize that if they maintain their present mindset, the tragedy can be repeated. The management must acknowledge the errors that it had made, and accordingly sincerely reflect upon their conduct as well as show their will for improvement. The government should turn away from their attitude of instigating destructive government-labour and management-labour relations, including its excessive criminal punishment for legitimate union activities. Furthermore, the government should come up with responsible measures such as injecting needed government aid into the ailing company. Both the government and management must not forget that the reason Ssangyong Motors struggle went beyond a ‘managerial’ to become a ‘political’ issue, blocking amicable settlement, was precisely because of their negative approach.
The KCTU will not stop its struggles against anti-labour policies of the Lee Myung Bak government, and will not stand by complacently should Ssangyong Motors continue its union-bashing practices as shown during the recent crisis. We express sincere gratitude to our members and all citizens who had exerted tremendous effort into settling the crisis, and resolve to strive more strongly to attain labour rights of 15 million workers of South Korea.
Finally, the KCTU hopes that the souls of Ssangyong Motors workers and family members who had lost their very lives in the course of these mass redundancy dismissals may rest in peace and conveys deep condolences to the bereaved.
6th August, 2009
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)
http://kctu.org/ActionAlerts/3754
Update (Thursday, 8.06, 10:00 a.m. CET):
"Ssangyong's fired workers end plant occupation", as today's Yonhap reports.
While today(8.05) the cops once again failed to conquer the entire SsangYong plant (for more about the latest developments please check out LabourStart, where you find the possibly bulkiest collection of news reports about the S.K. class struggle) the situation at the front line is approaching a very critical point...
The current balance of power at the front line: 4,000 riot cops, incl. special forces(SWAT/anti-terror units) and additional at least 2,000 privat "security guards" (i.e. organized criminals, hired by the SsangYong management) are confronting/attacking between 500 and 600 striking workers...
In this situation only a strong and uncompromising MASSIVE PUBLIC PROTEST (movement) can protect the striking workers and prevent a disater (i.e. must force the SYM management back to the negotiation table)!
Otherwise - when the "conflict" will be "settled" on the battlefield the striking workers will end like that..
..or possibly even worse!
Many activists but also relatives of the striking workers are fearing already a "remake" of the Yongsan Massacre, but this time with more fatalities!!
Related:
☞ "Photo News" from today's battle
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