5112개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Latest news from the "battlefield" in Pyeongtaek:
Since the early morning hundreds of riot cops and special forces are trying to conquer (until now unsuccessfully) the occupied paint shop in the SsangYong Motor plant. "It can be said that the final operations have essentially begun.", as a riot cop officer stated.
Until the late evening at least 50 striking workers were injured during the attacks by the cops and "security guards" (i.e. mobsters hired by SsangYong).
Meanwhile family members of the striking workers asked the National Human Rights Commission to stop the raid, saying it could lead to a bloodbath.
Today's Hankyoreh has a report about the current situation in the occupied paint shop:
Police resume spraying tear gas on striking workers
Since the rupture of negotiations between Ssangyong Motors labor and management, the sense of tension inside the paint shop that has served as the site of the strike is on the rise. An impending police raid is expected and some of the workers are preparing to leave the site, however, an estimated 600 workers are pledging stay regardless of the consequences...
The company announced that since early Sunday morning, the 42nd day of the strike and the day talks fell apart, a total of 92 unionists have left the site.
The company also turned off electricity to the paint shop on Sunday, after having already suspended food delivery on July 17, and water and gas supplies on July 20.
The paint shop, with its food, water, gas and now electricity suspended is standing in front of a certain storm. Those who left the company and those that remain, their families, creditors and police, are looking at the place with unease.
Han Sang-gyun, the Ssangyong Motors chapter head of the Korean Metal Workers Union met with unionists at several locations throughout the plant Monday. He said the real intention of the company was to kill the union. At 11:00 a.m. orange bags filled with tearing agents (*) once again began falling from helicopters onto the paint shop from above. Someone called out, “Are we to be treated as weeds that require pesticide?” Ever since the electricity was shut off, the unionists have used butane gas to cook rice to eat rice balls. The air conditioning has been shut off too, so the inside of the paint shop is sweltering with a few lit candles placed here and there. The entire site is full of flammable materials like paint thinner and the safety of the workers appears unstable.
Clashes with the company have recommenced. Unionists fired projectiles using slingshots as company security officers attempted to remove a metal barricade set up by the unionists near the paint shop.
The families of these “surviving workers” are overcome with concern. A member of the group, “Wives Who Love Ssangyong Motors,” expressed her frustration and said, “It seems the union’s unreasonableness and the company’s announcement of a breakdown in talks have led us to this, and the order from the company for employees to prepare to enter the factory has made us uneasy. Meanwhile, this asshole’s administration is just standing by as so many people are struggling...”
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/369377.html
* Dichloromethane, contained in the tearing agent, is a hazardous material that is listed as a carcinogen by both Korea’s Industrial Safety and Health Law and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The police claim it is not harmful, but this contradicts the agent’s level three (out of five) classification as a carcinogenic material by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Moreover, due to the suspension of the water supply, the workers are unable to wash off the spray once they come into contact with it. Nevertheless, police continue to spray this harmful material, as if to suggest that they do not care if the workers get sick or die.
Related articles:
☞ Police, laid-off workers clash at occupied Ssangyong facility (Yonhap)
Well, here you can check out today's developments in Pyeongtaek, summarized by KMWU-Ssangyong Branch.
And finally a very "beautiful" example of bourgeois rabble-rousing you can see here:
☞ 100 strikers leave Ssangyong factory after talks collapse (JoongAng Ilbo)
LET'S BRING WATER TO THE SSANGYONG WORKERS!
Video produced by Yongsan Candlelight Media Center:
Let's bring water to the Ssangyong workers! Yongsan is on the way!
Almost every day widowed families and even 80-year old grannies get hurt and beaten by thugs and police.... to the accompanying words of Rev. Moon Jeong-hyeon, watch the sisters, supporting families and comrades taking water bottles to bring to Ssangyong in Pyeongtaek!
It has been produced with a comic effect by adding things like animation, yet it has a sharp sting.
With Yongsan willing to give such strong support and solidarity, the Ssangyong struggle must win! Tu-jaeng! (fight on!)
용산 촛불미디어 제작 영상:
물을 주러 갑시다!! .. 용산도 떴습니다!!
매일마다 짭새와 용역에 의해 몸을 다쳐 유가족, 또 팔순 할머니까지 얼굴부상이지만
문정현 신부님 목소리에 맞춰 함께 수녀님, 유가족, 연대단위들이 물통을 질머쥐고 평택 쌍용차로 향하는 모습!
애니메이션 등으로 코믹하게 제작했지만 웬지 코끝이 찡해집니다!!
용산이 이처럼 응원하고 연대 마음을 전하니 "쌍차 투쟁" 반드시 승리할 겁니다!! - 투쟁!! -
Related:
☞ Urgent appeal from Ssangyong Motor workers (KCTU, 7.29)
Latest news from the "frontline":
☞ S.Korea police step up siege of troubled car plant (AFP, 8.03)
☞ Countdown Begun for Ssangyong Liquidation (K. Times, 8.03)
☞ Ssangyong seek to evict fired workers (Korea Herald, 8.03)
Latest news from the negotiation front in Pyeongtaek:
Ssangyong says talks with union have collapsed
While the union said, "We cannot tolerate dismissal of any of the 700 workers, who have struggled together for over two months.", the SYM management 'proposed': "We will guarantee 390 jobs.."
The union gave the management until 10 a.m. tomorrow to consider its demands once again, but the company already said that further negotiations will not happen!
According to AP "The union released a statement calling the management's proposal unacceptable and vowing to stage a 'last-minute struggle.' It did not elaborate."
And only yesterday DLP's Kang Ki-kap acted cool and said: "I am certain the negotiations will turn out well!"... ("Well" - but for whom??)
Related articles:
☞ Ssangyong Faces Liquidation After Labor Talks Collapse (K. Times, 8.02)
☞ Labor talks at S.Korea's Ssangyong Motor break off (AP, 8.02)
☞ Tent camp grows outside Ssangyong Motors plant (Hankyoreh, 8.01)
So, this means (very likely) that...
THE STRUGGLE GOES ON!!
내일 아침 9시! 평택공장 앞으로 집결해주십시오!
[7.29] KCTU's Solidarity Demo in Pyeongtaek
Produced by Video Activist comrade "Hong Gil-dong.."
A collection of photos from the same "event" you can see here!
Is a "Victory" for the Striking Workers Within Reach?
Today in the morning(CET) al-Jazeera reported that Talks on to end SsangYong strike were resumed..
And just a short while ago Korea Times wrote that a Breakthrough Expected in Ssangyong Negotiations...
Related articles:
☞ Ssangyong workers and managers sit down to talk (JoongAng Ilbo)
☞ Ssangyong Motors management and labor resume negotiations (Hankyoreh)
1. Today's (bourgeois) Korea Times has following depressing report about the current horrible situation(I presumed such a development already one week ago!!) - caused by special warfare, conducted by the cops since almost 10 days - in the occupied SsangYong plant:
Ssangyong Motor Factory Turning Into 'Refugee Camp'
The fired workers, who have occupied the paint shop of a Ssangyong Motor factory for 68 days, are living in a dismal conditions as they have been denied water and food for about a week.
Visitors to the building, including doctors and medical staff said the situation will turn worse as dozens are already injured and around 10 occupants are suffering from depression.
"It's like a refugee camp," said Baek Nam-joon, a member of a humanitarian doctors' association. "Protesters have been living in a hell-like environment."
Baek said a sour, acid smell is lingering inside the building following days of tear-gas spraying by police helicopters.
"It was hard to breathe," he said. Many of them are exposed to dehydration as drinking water was drying up. Doctors estimated that 200 were injured.
"Six of them need an immediate surgery or medical care. Many have severe injuries, including broken ribs or joints incurred during clashes with riot police."
According to Baek, they are given one or two rice balls per day. "Toilets are in dismal condition as the water supply has been cut off."
Hundreds of protesters have complained of a lack of sleep, he said.
"They sleep just two or three hours a day as police helicopters above the building generate unbearable noise."
Lee Chang-geun, spokesman for the unionized protesters, said noise from helicopters and speakers installed nearby the building was adding to the terrible conditions. "We have no food, no water and no sleep."
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/07/113_49306.html
2. Today KCTU's solidarity demo (for the SsangYong strike) took place in Pyeongtaek. About 3,000 activists demanded first and foremost humanitarian aid for the besieged strikers...
...but (surprise, surprise!!) they were attacked by large units of riot cops, using water cannons and "tear gas bombs" dropped from helicopters.
International Solidarity!!
Protest rallies in front of S.K. embassies/consulates:
6.28: Tokyo, 7.24: Bratislava/Slovakia, 7.27: HongKong, 7.28: San Francisco/USA
For more information from the "frontline" in S.K., please check out LabourStart!
MUST SEE! Video activist comrade "Hong Gil-dong.." released y'day two impressive documentaries about Saturday's Nat'l Workers Rally in Pyeongtaek.
You can watch them here and here (video #1: the opening rally near Pyeongtaek Stn., video #2: the demo to the SsangYong plant and the following confrontation with the riot cops)!
From today's Hankyoreh:
Water as a weapon
The police shoot a water cannon at members of Korea Confederation of Trade Unions
for attempting to deliver water to Ssangyong Motors union members near the
automaker’s plant in Pyongtaek City in Gyeonggi Province, July 25.
And last but not least.. KCTU's next plan to support the SsangYong Strike:
(Update) Latest news from Korea Times: "Laid-off union members of Ssangyong Motor said Monday they are open to talks with management to end their occupation of a building in the company's factory in Pyeongtaek..
The remarks came two days after management refused to hold talks. Ssangyong executives are far from positive about the proposal, saying it was a union tactic to buy time and take the upper hand in negotiations."
Finally - the struggle goes on!!
Some beautiful impressions from yesterday's National Workers Rally, organized by KCTU. In the afternoon at least 7,000 workers, progressive political and resistance activists gathered in downtown Pyeongtaek to demonstrate their solidarity with the SsangYong Strike(*):
* But "of course" it wasn't so peaceful all the time! After the rally ended hundreds of activists wanted to deliver food and water (humanitarian aid!!) to the besieged strikers but were confronted and attacked by approx. 9,000 riot cops, using water cannons and "tear gas bombs"(according to Yonhap), as you can see/read in the following reports: I☞ VoP I☞ cMedia I☞ NewsCham
1. Struggle News #9 is "on air" since Wed., 7.22 (the 'script' you can read here)!
2. Tomorrow's National Workers Demo in Pyeongtaek, organized by KCTU:
SOLIDARITY WITH THE SSANGYONG STRIKE!!
3. Alleged negotiations:
"Ssangyong Union, Management to Meet Tomorrow", according to Korea Times(7.24)...
Latest news from the "battlefield":
☞ [쌍용차24일 20:35]잠시 소강, 용역버스 9대 대기 중 (미디어충청)
☞ 공권력투입 닷새째...경찰진압 격화 '전쟁터'노동과세계 (KCTU)
Update (7.25):
Today's Yonhap News: "Ssangyong Motor Co. refused Saturday to hold talks with laid-off workers occupying part of the company's sole assembly plant..."
4. Last night at the frontline (SsangYong plant, the occupied paint shop):
최근 덧글 목록