401개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Following statement MTU released last Thursday (8.02):
STOP the Oppression against MTU and its Former President Anwar Hossain!
Once again an absurd and shocking incident has occurred. On July 27 former MTU president Anwar Hossain left Korea smiling planning to return to his home in Bangladesh.
However he was not even able to set foot outside Dhaka International Airport before he was arrested.
Even more surprising are the claims being made against former President Anwar. The Bangladeshi police have labeled him an anti-Korean criminal and are subjecting him to an investigation for anti-Korean activities, which they say are damaging to Bangladesh’s image.
President Anwar began his activism in Korea as a union member of the Equality Trade Union - Migrants’ Branch (ETU-MB) in 2002. After serving as Seongsu Branch Leader for ETU and Representative of the Myeongdong Sit-in Struggle, he was elected as the Migrants’ Trade Union’s first president in 2005.
Can this seriously be called anti-Korean activities?
It is not possible to call labor union activities, which are protected by the Korean Constitution, anti-Korean simply because they involve. In addition, the Myeong-dong Sit-in struggle was carried out by victims of discrimination in order to protect their right to life. It was not carried out in order to harm the Korean government or with any sort of anti-Korean objective.
Former President Anwar has not carried out anti-Korean activities. Rather, he has been a victim of the Korean government. At 1:00am on May 14 2005, short after he was elected president of MTU, Anwar was surrounded by dozens of officers at the entrance to Dtukseom Subway Station, harassed, hit and arrested in a grave violation of human rights. Despite the fact that this was obviously a targeted attack, the government claimed it was simply a regular immigration crackdown and proceeded to imprison Anwar.
Anwar was then forced to live confined in a detention center without anyone with whom he could communicate for one year at the end of which he came to suffered from severe depression. As a result he was finally temporarily released to receive treatment on April 24 2006.
Anwar also experienced severe repression at the hands of the Korean government during the period his residence permit was extended. Beginning from the moment he was released the government stepped in to stop his activities in MTU moving to refuse extension of his residence several times.
Can MTU activities really be thought of as anti-Korean? Or serious criminal activities? No. The Constitution guarantees the right to such activities to all workers not discriminating between Koreans and non-Koreans. Specifically a High Court ruling of February 1 stated that the labor rights of undocumented migrant workers must also be guaranteed. Given this decision it is impossible to understand the governments refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of MTU’s work.
The situation that Anwar is currently facing is clearly the fault of the South Korean government. We are sure that the Bangladesh government would not make this claim about anti-Korean activities simply for its own pleasure. We can only but guess that the South Korean government has intervened. This is because the government has referred to Anwar’s ‘anti-Korean activities’ in past media reports and interviews.
However, right now the S. Korean government is stating that its only involvement in this issue was to check if Anwar had boarded the plane when he left from Korea. This refusal to admit their responsibility in causing the current situation is an intolerable act. The government must take responsibility for causing an innocent man to be treated as if he were a felon.
In addition the Bangladesh government must immediately stop labeling just and proper union work ‘anti-Korean activities’, stop the investigation against Anwar and assure that it can live a safe and secure life. We, MTU, will continue to make every possible effort to ensure Anowar’s situation is addressed and continue to demand of the Korean and Bangladesh governments that they take responsibility and correct the problem at hand.
2007, 8.02
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union
http://migrant.nodong.net/bbs/view.php?id=news_notice&no=223
Related articles:
☞ Life is still difficult for migrant workers in Korea
From today - as scheduled and announced by the S.K. gov't/MoJ - a new massive wave of crackdown (i.e. man hunt, imprisonment, mass deportation..) against un-documented migrant workers is starting. To inform and mobilize the S.K. public about/against that MWTV produced and released y'day following video:
8월에 시작 될 살인적인 합동단속
The S. K. gov't is planning a new wave of massive crackdown against so-called unducumented migrant workers, beginning next month (☞ 이주노조/MTU 제안)
To made it public MTU held y'day in front of Seoul's Immigration Office in Mok-dong a press conference. There MTU also announced a mass demonstration (*) for 8.19 (2 pm, in front of Seoul Stn.) to protest against the planned new wave of crackdown.
25일 오전 11시 서울 출입국관리사무소 앞에서 미등록이주노동자 집중단속 방침 철회를 촉구하는 기자회견이 있었다.
이주노동자차별철폐와 인권·노동권 실현을 위한 공동행동 (이하 이주공동행동) 이 주최한 이 기자회견은 법무부가 고용허가제 시행 3년째가 되는 8월 1일부터 12월 말까지 대대적인 집중 단속을 실시한다는 방침을 밝힌 것에 대한 항의 행동이었다.
기자회견에는 이주공동행동에서 함께 활동하고 있는 단체들이 적극적으로 참여해 무려 110여 명이 함께했다.
이주공동행동은 이번 기자회견을 시작으로 이주노동자 집중 단속에 항의하는 전국적인 캠페인을 지역과 거리에서 진행하고 8월 19일에는 서울역 광장에서 대규모 도심 집회를 열 계획이다.
Source: 다함께
Source of the pics: ..지영동지
* 고용허가제 3년 규탄 및 단속추방 중단·이주노동자 인권·노동권 쟁취 결의대회
일시 : 8월 19일 오후 2시
장소 : 서울역 광장
For more please read (in Korean^^):
‘전국의 출입국사무소 앞 항의행동과 기자회견 시작예정' (이주노동자방송국)
Before y'day (7.22) MTU, together with many solidarity groups/activists celebrated comrade Anwar Hossain's (former chairman of MTU) "Farewell Party". On Thursday (7.26), after almost 11 years exploited and oppressed in S. Korea - he had to spend even one year in immigration detention center - he will go back home to Bangladesh.
22일 연세대학교 학생회관 3층 푸른샘에서
아노아르 동지의 환송회가 있었습니다.
이주노동자들의 자신들의 조직인 이주노조를 만들어지고
초대 위원장으로 아노아르 동지,
정말이지 헌신적이고 열정적인 활동으로
여러동지들, 연대 단위들, 우리 운동에
많이 기여해 주었습니다.
표적연행되어 1년여간 보호소에 갇혀서도
힘있고 단호하게 싸웠기 때문에
함께 싸우는 사람들이 용기얻어 단호하게 싸울 수 있었습니다.
귀국을 앞두고, 명동성당에 들러 몇시간이고 있다가 왔다는 아노아르 동지,
한국에서 멋진 모습, 직접 보면서 활동할 수 없어 아쉽기는 하지만
우리는 국제 운동의 일부니까요,
어디에서든,
함께 싸우고 있을 겁니다.
동지의 모습 떠올리며 용감하게
이주노동자들의 인권과 노동권 쟁취하는 그날까지
'함께' 싸우고 있겠습니다.
건강하세요.
(Source: 버리동지 on MTU)
Following just some (photo) impressions about the event:
(Source: 아노아르환송회, incl. many more pics.)
Related:
☞ "자리를 옮기는 것 뿐입니다" (Interview with Anwar, by Chamsesang)
☞ Urgent appeal campaign for Anwar同志 (2005.6.09)
☞ 나를 연행한 것은 노동운동 탄압이다! (video by Hong Gil-dong, 2005.5.16)
Anwar behind bars - Immigration Detention Center,
summer 2005
Update (7.25):
Today's Hankyoreh published following article:
Life is still difficult for migrant workers in Korea
Migrant workers’ union founder makes the difficult decision to leave, following years of fighting for the rights of migrant workers
A 25-year-old Bangladeshi man came to South Korea in May 1996, leaving nine brothers and sisters in his homeland. As he had only obtained a 3-month tourist visa, he was not allowed to work legally in Korea. However, he got a job at a plastic factory in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, with the help of a broker. He had initially thought, “I will stay here for three years at the most and return to my homeland after earning a lot of money.” Now, ten years have passed. The young man who had been dreaming the “Korean dream” has become a fighter via the stark realities of his tough life here. He is determined to make a world in which all laborers are treated as human beings regardless their nationality.
Anoar Hussein, 36, who established the Migrants’ Trade Union, the nation’s first trade union for migrant workers, in April 2005, will return to Bangladesh on July 26. He has made this difficult decision because it has not been easy for him to extend his visa and he can to take better care of himself in his homeland. He has had to suffer a great deal of hardship since coming to live in Seoul.
These days, he is concerned about the South Korean government’s plans to crack down on undocumented migrant workers in August. “I am so sorry that I am leaving a situation in which I have many things to do. It is even more burdensome to leave Korea than it was to come here,” he said.
When he first joined the migrant workers’ campaign, he did not intend to found a movement, but living and working in an environment in which he has often suffered from abuse and ill treatment has caused him to want to stand up for his rights and those of the people around him. “I worked hard at a fabric factory in Seongsu-dong for over 12 hours a day, but I only received 700,000 won (US$ 765) a month. Sometimes, I didn’t get my wages for three months,” he said. Though he and those he met near the factory where he worked were of different nationalities and often faced a language barrier, they were easily united through their common cause. “We just wanted to be treated like human beings,” they said. Thus began his fight.
Following implementation of the Employment Permit System in 2003, the government has granted legal status to just 227,000 foreigners and urged the remaining 120,000 undocumented foreign residents to leave the country immediately. The government then deported over 100,000 undocumented workers.
In November of the same year, approximately 100 foreign workers, including Hussein, staged a sit-in under a tent at Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral in downtown Seoul calling for the government to stop forcefully repatriating foreign workers and legalize undocumented laborers at once. The demonstration lasted for 380 days. “I was impressed by the South Korean students and citizens who supported us. I stopped thinking that all South Koreans were same and that it was useless to fight,” he said. The struggle led to the founding of the Migrants’ Trade Union.
However, it has not been easy. Despite the fact that the court has declared that undocumented foreign workers do have the right to form unions, the Ministry of Labor has still not recognized this right.
Hussein established the labor union for foreign workers in April 2005 and became its first leader, but was arrested by the police 20 days after the union was launched and imprisoned at Cheongju Immigration Office for a year. During that time he was monitored 24 hours a day and lost 8 kilograms. “I was so displeased with the behavior of my fellow inmates and I thought of committing a suicide almost everyday,” he said. For some time after he was released, he had to receive mental treatment, he added.
When he returns to Bangladesh, he will continue to work in the labor and social movements, building upon his experiences in South Korea. “I haven’t given up on seeking rights for migrant workers in South Korea. Wherever I am, people will be able to meet me through the international solidarity of the social justice movement,” he said.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/224718.html
1. S. Korean Social Forum. Migrant workers' contribution, 7.08 (Sun.):
☞ Migrant Workers Speak about their Lives and Struggle in S.K.
2. (Samsung)Everland:
Just few days ago MTU published following leaflet to inform and mobilize:
Protect the human and labor rights of Everland
E-6 Visa Performance Workers!
Usually, if migrant workers leave their place of employment to find another job they become 'illegal'; even in the case of unescapable circumstances such as a plant closure, if they cannot find new work within two months they become 'illegal.' Once a migrant worker becomes 'illegal' his/her name is put on a list as a target of crackdown and detention; in one instant his/her right to life is destroyed. As such, migrant workers live every moment with the government and their employer's noose tied around their necks. Among these, female migrant workers face yet another layer of exploitation and oppression. Female migrant workers who come to South Korea on E-6 visas to work at performance and entertainment jobs are in a particularly severe situation. The case of E-6 workers at Everland Theme Park, which has recently become an important social issue, demonstrates clearly the overall plight of E-6 migrant workers.
Hellish Slavery-like Work Environment
Performance workers at Everland are forced to dye their hair, put on make up and move around in high-heels, blamed if they trip or fall down. Including supposed 'practice time' they must labor strenuously forcing smiles and laughter for 13-14 hours. Recently workers who are short the money for plane tickets have part of their pitiful wage, which does not even reach 700,000 per month, subtracted. If a worker severely injures her back due to the difficult work and needs treatment, she immediately faces deportation; if a worker's makeup is not perfect, if customers' response is unsatisfactory, if she takes a break outside of designated rest areas or makes a mistake during a performance, her employer deducts 100,00 won from her monthly wage. This is not merely labor exploitation; it is a form of mental slavery, gender oppression and obliteration of human rights that forces workers to live a life of slavery on the grounds of Everland Theme Park.
The Problems of E-6 Workers are the Problems of Women Workers
Without even mentioning the question of migration and settlement, the reality of women workers is one of continuous sexual exploitation and/or everyday discrimination and violence that is often sexual in nature. The case of Everland performance workers who do not even have protected rights to receive a minimum wage and proper rest time, who are expelled if they become sick or injured, is a representative example of some of the most brutal conditions facing women workers One of the particular characteristics of female migrant workers working on E-6 visas is that the majority must renew their residences every six months and are only allowed to stay for one year. This system makes them all the more subordinate to the will of their employers. Because E-6 workers are supposedly performers or artists, their labor is not even recognized as such. They therefore receive no protection under Korean labor law; employers determine work hours and wages at their will. Because they do service work, their fate turns on the response of customers making it exceedingly difficult for them to stand up for even the slightest of their rights. The many female migrant workers who simply cannot stand these conditions and leave their workplaces have very limited options and are often lured into the sex industry. However,Despite this wretched situation, there is a worker who has had the courage to fight believing she is entitled to workplace accident compensation. One female worker suffered from a sprained wrist and ruptured disk in her back due to wretched work conditions. She informed her employer she wishes to apply for workplace accident compensation and stood up to give a vivid testimony about all the forms of exploitation she has experienced. This worker's courage provides a starting point from which it will be possible to demand basic rights to health and safe work. Everland responded with its own press conference, erased the criticizable content from its contract documents, and has been using tactics to stop other workers from talking. However the reality of the slavery-like contracts has already been made completely public.
Struggle!
This issue arises from the basic structure of oppression and violation of migrant workers' human rights and labor rights in South Korea. This struggle will not end with achieving workplace accident compensation. It cannot end until performance workers are recognized as workers and their employers provide a work environment consistent with the law, and a law is created specifically to protect these workers.
Right now a taskforce to protect E-6 workers human and labor rights is working to make known the human rights violations and exploitation of performance workers, beginning with those as Everland and is working with Everland workers to prepare a lawsuit and win special supervision from the Labor Ministry. We are also working not to miss this opportunity provided by this worker's courage by increasing education and exchange between performance workers in order to build a long term response. In order to avoid many workers being deported we need careful and persistent organizing. We need the support of migrant workers, women workers and all comrades in struggle. Please demonstrate your solidarity with statements, organizing and diverse activities!
Demands to Everland:
Stop your deceitful actions!
Do not stop with just compensation, fully reform the work conditions at Everland!
We will not be silent if you try to deport workers secretly!
We declare a full-out struggle!
Demands to the Ministry of Justice:
Recognize performance/arts migrant workers for what they are, workers!
The E-6 Visa system and Employer Permit System must be abolished immediately!
Implement a Work Permit System that will actually protect the human rights and labor rights of migrant workers!
Win minimum wage and workplace accident insurance, stop unjust penalties and firing, win the three basic labor rights! End all discrimination and exploitation of migrant workers! Lets Unit!
Gyeonggi(-do) Migrants' Taskforce
The same in Korean:
☞ 에버랜드 E-6 공연 노동자들의 노동권과 인권을 보장하라!
Related:
The S.K. Gov't is Planning a New Wave of Massive Crackdown
MTU: UNITE, ORGANIZE AND RESIST!!
MTU (Migrants' Trade Union) proposal to all migrant workers' communities:
We are right now on the eve of the government's massive crackdown against (so-called "illegal") migrant workers planned for August 1.
As you will recall, in only a few months following the beginning of a similar crackdown at the end of 2003 seven migrant workers lost their lives.
We cannot allow a similar tradegy to occur during the upcoming crackdown. Therefore it is vital that we gather our strength and come together to discuss our plans for dealing with the crackdown that is now right before our eyes.
This is our proposal to each and every migrant worker community:
Please quickly call emergency meetings in each national community to discuss the best way to deal with the approaching crackdown.
We also want to make it possible for us to share these plans collectively. Therefore we are planning to make a space for all communities to come together to discuss our opinions and plans sometime before the middle or end of July.
Migrant workers, lets come together in unity to stop the government's crackdown!
2007. 6. 27.
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants' Trade Union (MTU)
이주노조가 각국 이주노동자 공동체에게 공동체 모임 소집을 제안 드립니다.
현재 우리 이주노동자들은 8월 1일부터 시작되는 정부의 대대적인 단속 직전에 있습니다.
지난 2003년 말부터 단속이 시작되자 불과 몇 달 사이에 7명의 이주노동자가 목숨을 끊었습니다.
이번 정부의 단속 때 또 이와같은 비극일 일어나서는 안 됩니다. 그래서 우리는 지금 코 앞에 닥친 정부의 단속에 맞서 어떻게 대응해야 할 지 의견을 모으고 힘을 합해야 하는 상황입니다.
이에 각 국가 공동체들에게 제안드립니다.
신속히 국가별 긴급 모임이나 회의를 소집해 단속에 대처할 나름의 방안들을 논의해 주십시오.
그리고 그 결과를 함께 공유할 수 있길 바랍니다. 그래서 7월 중순 전에 이주노조는 모든 나라 공동체들과 함께 모여 의견을 모으는 자리를 만드려고 합니다.
우리 이주노동자들 모두가 함께 단결해 정부의 대대적인 단속을 막아냅시다!
2007. 6. 27.
서울경기인천 이주노동자 노동조합
Since several days MTU is developing a campaign to fight
against the massive exploitation of migrant workers in
Samsung's Everland, S. Korea's largest amusement park.
Last Wednesday, for example a press conference (*) was
held in front of the main gate to inform the S. Korean
public about the horrible working conditions for migrants
there..
Short after that Korea Times (wow, what a surprise!!)
published following article:
Foreign Dancers Highlight Plight of Migrant Workers
A parade of foreign dancers is considered a highlight of events in amusement parks, offering great joy to visitors. However, behind angelic smiles and beautiful costumes is the pain of living under slave-like contracts.
According to the Migrant Workers' Labor Union, 150 dancers at Everland, the nation's largest amusement park located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, are subject to slave labor-type contracts. They work under individual contracts with Dong-il Entertainment, a manpower supply company that introduces dancers to Everland.
The contract states that both Everland and Dong-il do not take any responsibility for dancers' accidents during performances except for 2 million won that is paid by an insurance company and dancers can be fired if they get hurt or contract an illness that requires more than one month of treatment.
As well, collective action by two dancers or more is banned, according to the contract.
In Everland, a 30-minute parade takes place six times a day. There are one-hour breaks between parades. Although it's called break time, there is actually no time for rest as dancers are busy preparing for the next performance, changing costumes and revamping their makeup. Summer is an especially tough season as they wear heavy fur clothes and decorations..
``Although dancers practice and perform more than 12 hours a day, we receive salaries of 700,000 to 800,000 won per month on average. Also, if we sit down due to fatigue during rehearsals or fail to dye our hair blonde once a month in order to look exotic, we have to a pay a fine of 100,000 won, which is more than 10 percent of our monthly salary,'' (one female performer) said..
``Like foreign dancers at Everland, many migrant workers suffer from rampant slave-like contracts. They have no chance to get access to education or information regarding their labor rights or Korean labor law,'' said Han Seung-wook, an official from the Migrant Workers' Labor Union.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/06/117_5310.html
MWTV, in its next English news (#46) will report following:
If you go to Everland Theme Park, you can see dancers in magnificent costumes dancing. And every one of those dancers is a migrant worker here on an E-6 visa.
Even though they may have a legal visa, they are living lives under bondage [like slaves] with no idea when they might be able to return to their own country.
Last fall, Oxana from the Ukraine was in the middle of a performance when she hurt her back and left leg but despite the injury and the butterfly costume weighing over 6 kilograms that she was wearing, the show went on. Unfortunately afterwards, she wasn't able to get proper medical attention nor a rest and ultimately the injury exacerbated so much that she developed a [serious spinal problem/slipped disk] to the point of disability.
Over time, despite the injury, Oxana was unable to receive proper medical care, much less (receive) two weeks sick leave. And because of other instances of forced deportation from her work place, she was afraid it might happen to her if she pursued treatment.
For these dancers, although they don't have dressing rooms, they have to change three times a day. They are also forced to have their hair bleached and dyed once a month, which has led to much hair loss. In addition, from the modest 900,000 Won they earn per month, they are docked 100,000 Won each time they are caught sitting down during non-break periods.
Since these workers come to Korea on E-6 visas, they are classified as entertainers and most don't receive work training and have to work under bad conditions. The need for human rights for these workers is an immediate reality.
* 잔혹 동화의 나라, 삼성에버랜드 규탄 기자회견 (PhotoStory by "Tori~")
A bit late but.. y'day MTU published (the English version of) following statement, originally released 11 days ago in Korean (*):
The Ministry of Justice Must Admit the EPS is a Failure and Truly Revise the Migrant Workers System!
Since the Yeosu Detention Center fire tragedy occurred on February 10 the Ministry of Justice has been working tirelessly to cover up its anti-human rights and racist nature by talking about plans for the legalization of undocumented migrant workers and the improvement of conditions in detention centers. However, on June 4 it announced that it would institute a system of penalties for employers who hire undocumented migrant workers and begin a joint crackdown in August. This announcement clearly demonstrates the Justice Ministry’s intention to target undocumented migrant workers rather than truly address fundamental problems in South Korea’s foreign labor system.
The crackdown plan clearly demonstrates the Justice Ministry’s true nature, which it has been attempting to conceal. Even thought it failed in its attempt to blame the Yeosu fire on arson committed by an individual who could not even defend himself, the Ministry is still trying blame all the social problems related to migrant workers on undocumented migrant who are living in South Korea. However it is clear from looking at the chain of sad events that began with the February fire tragedy that the root of these problems is to be found in the government’s misguided policy on migrant workers, which it continues to ruthlessly enforce despite obvious faults.
The number of undocumented migrant workers in South Korea has now reached over 210 thousand. Even though the government has implemented a vicious man-hunting crackdown and deported over 100 thousand undocumented migrants the number only continues to increase. What does this tell us? It tells us that, just like the Industrial Trainee System, the Employment Permit System only continues to create more and more undocumented migrants.
It is not possible to solve the current problem of undocumented migrant workers through a crackdown. The barbaric and brutal crackdown can only lead to one human rights abuse after another while thrusting migrant workers into a state of terror. With the first three year period of the EPS will be over this August 17, it is now the time to officially evaluate the EPS. However, even if the Ministry of Justice recognizes the system’s faults and puts forward a plan for revision it is of little value in the face of the plan announced on June 4, which dumps all the responsibility on to undocumented migrants and calls for an all out attack against them. This plan is clearly racist disregard for the human rights and labor rights of minority ethnic groups in Korea.
We hereby declare that we will firmly oppose the joint crackdown scheduled for August and struggle against the Ministry of Justice in order to win human rights and labor rights for migrant workers. If the Ministry does not immediately give up its plan and goes forth with its attack on migrant workers it and the administration must be prepared for the fierce struggle of migrant workers.
Our demands are as follows:
1. The Ministry of Justice must repeal its August crackdown plan and immediately legalize all undocumented migrant workers!
2. The Ministry of Justice must admit that the EPS is a failure and implement the Work Permit System!
3. The Ministry of Justice must stop its oppression of and attack on migrant workers and protect migrant workers human and labor rights!
2007.06.07
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union
http://migrant.nodong.net
*****
* 법무부는 고용허가제 실패를 인정하고, 제도개선을 본격화하라!!
2월 10일 여수 외국인보호소 화재참사 이후로 지금까지 미등록 이주노동자에 대한 합법화 방안 및 외국인보호소 개선 방안을 내놓으며 사건으로 파헤쳐진 자신의 반인권적, 인종차별적 모습을 감추기 위해 무진장 애를 써온 법무부는 6월 4일 보도자료를 통해 사업주에 대한 미등록 이주노동자 불법고용 처벌 및 미등록 이주노동자에 대해 8월부터 강력한 관계기관 합동단속을 실시할 것을 발표했다. 이발표는 명백하게 미등록 이주노동자를 타겟으로 삼고 있는 것이다.
이는 자신들이 감추려 했던 자신들의 본질을 분명하게 드러낸 것이다. 2월 여수 화재참사를 불안정한 개인의 방화로 몰고가며 사건을 무마시키는 것이 실패했음에도, 모든 잘못을 한국에서 살아가고 있는 미등록 이주노동자에게 돌리려 노력하고 있는 것이다. 하지만 이미 2월 참사를 비롯한 일련의 사건들은 이 모든 문제의 원인이 잘못된 이주노동자 정책과 그 정책의 문제가 계속 돌출됨에도 무리하게 강행하고 있는 정부에 있음을 명백히 보여준다.
이제 미등록 이주노동자가 21만이 넘어섰다. 정부의 살인적인 인간사냥으로 10만명이 넘는 이주노동자가 추방했음에도 불구하고 그 수는 줄지않고 계속 늘고 있다. 이것이 말해주는 것이 무엇인가? 이는 고용허가제가 산업연수제와 마찬가지로 미등록 이주노동자를 계속해서 양산할 수밖에 없는 제도임을 보여주는 것이다.
현재의 미등록 이주노동자 문제는 단속으로 해결될 수 없다. 무자비한 살인적인 단속은 단지 미등록 이주노동자에 대한 인권 노동권 침해만을 불러올 뿐이며 죽음으로 내몰고 있을 뿐이다. 이제 8월 17일이면 3년 단위의 고용허가제가 3주년이 되는 날이다. 이제 본격적으로 고용허가제를 평가해야 할 시기이며, 현재 정책의 잘못을 시인하고, 이에 대한 개선책을 내놓아도 시원찮은 판에 모든 책임을 미등록 이주노동자에게 돌리고 공격을 강화하겠다는 법무부의 발표는 도저히 이해할 수 없는 행위이다. 이는 명백하게 타민족, 타인종에 대한 인권과 노동권을 모두 무시하겠다는 것이다.
우리 이주노조는 8월부터 자행될 합동단속에 대항하고, 이주노동자의 인권과 노동권을 쟁취하기 위해 법무부에 대한 투쟁을 선포한다. 지금 즉시 종전의 계획을 포기하지 않고, 계속해서 이주노동자에 대한 공격을 자행하겠다면 정부와 법무부는 이주노동자의 강력한 투쟁을 각오해야 할 것이다. 이에 이주노조는 다음을 요구한다.
1. 법무부는 8월 단속 계획을 철회하고, 지금 즉시 미등록 이주노동자를 전면합법화하라!
2. 고용허가제 3년, 고용허가제 실패를 인정하고, 노동허가제를 적극 도입하라!
3. 이주노동자에 대한 공격, 탄압을 중단하고, 이주노동자 인권과 노동권을 보장하라!
2007년 6월 7일
서울경기인천 이주노동자노동조합
During the time when migrant workers in S.K. were fighting publicly, especially during our sit-in struggle in Myeong-dong (Nov. 2003 until Dec. 2004) the reports for example about the "Borderless Village" in Ansan (a city on the edge of Seoul), even in the bourgeois media were a kind of positive..
But now, it seems that the situation complete changed.. The S.K. bourgeois media, such as Korea Times, CBS, SBS.. are now increasing their reactionary, racist propaganda against migrant workers.
One really strange example is following article, published in the latest "Weekly Korea" (주간한국, the weekly magazine of Honkook Ilbo/Korea Times):
Foreigners Turning Urban Areas into Lawless Zones
Residential Neighborhoods with Many Foreigners, Lawless Zones when the Sun Goes Down: Scary Night Streets, Foreigner Crimes Rising Daily… High Crime Zones Devoid of Public Authority Appearing..
“I’m afraid to walk around at night. With herds of foreigners swarming around frightening me, I’m also scared I might be harmed. I firmly warn even my middle school daughter.”..
Mrs. Oh (46), a resident of Wongok-dong (in Ansan), a neighborhood that has become known as Korea’s “Borderless Village,” said that as the neighborhood fills up with foreigners, it has grown savage and desolate. Choe In-song (82), who calls himself a Wongok-dong native, said, “As the number of foreigners grows, the neighborhood is growing increasingly disorderly and women are avoiding walking around at night.”..
Although there were differences in degree, most of the Wolgok-dong residents this reporter met were wary of foreign laborers. Some, citing panicky rumors of sexual crimes and violent crimes, expressed animosity [toward the foreign laborers]... etc..
Read the entire f.. sh.. here:
☞ 외국인 밀집 거주지역, 해만 떨어지면 '무법천지' (주간한국, 6.11)
Somehow related:
☞ 불법체류자 밀집된 천안·아산에 태국 '조폭' 활개 (CBS)
☞ 외국인 밀집지역서 강력범죄 잇따라 '불안' (SBS)
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Well, while I have been living in S.K. I visited many times Ansan and never I had the feeling that the citizens there had major problems with the "foreign"/migrant workers. On several occesions, for example when the immigration police was hitting the migrant community, representatives of Ansan's (Wolgok-dong) Korean community joined our demonstrations and even took the stage to express their solidarity with our struggle.
Just check out this:
☞ ..Borderless Village 2007 New Years Festival (MWTV)
About last Sunday's MTU rally (in preparation of the Int'l Stuggle Day of the Working Class/"Mayday") I found several reports (unfortunately only in Korean):
"이주노동자를 인간답게 대우하라"
117주년 노동절 맞이 이주노동자대회 열려
(VoP/민중의소리, 4.29)
29일 오후 2시 서울역 광장에서는 ‘117주년 노동절 맞이 단속추방중단, 미등록이주노동자 전면합법화, 이주노동자 노동권 확보’를 위한 이주노동자대회가 열렸다.
이날 대회는 서울경기인천 이주노동자노조(이하 ‘이주노조’), 재한네팔인공동체(NCC), 버마 공동체(Burma Action), 필리핀 공동체(Kasammako), 스리랑카 공동체(BNS), 인도네시아 공동체(ICC) 등 이주노동자들의 단체들이 주최했다. 그러나 정작 이주노동자들은 여러 지역에서 아침부터 실시된 단속 때문에 많은 인원이 참석하진 못했다고 마숨 이주노조 사무국장이 밝혔다.
뚜라 버마 액션 대표는 “한국경제에서 이주노동자가 없으면 안 된다. 긍정적으로 받아들였으면 한다”며 “자기 나라의 경제가 어려워서 일 하러 오는 것은 부끄러운 일이 아닌데도 차별대우하면 안 되는 것”이라고 강조했다. 그는 “한국인도 한국을 벗어나 미국이나 일본 등에서 이주노동자가 되어 보면 우리들과 같다는 것을 알게 될 것”이라고 말했다.
까지만 이주노조 위원장은 “이주노동자 정책이나 문제가 15년 동안이나 진행됐지만, 아직까지 해결 못하고 있다. 왜 그런지 한 가지만 말하겠다”며 “노동자가 노동자답게 살기 위해, 노동자로 인정해 달라. 이것만 해결되면 이주노동자 문제도 해결된다고 생각한다”고 말했다.
서울역 광장에서 이주노동자대회를 마친 이들은 남대문을 거쳐 명동성당까지 행진을 한 후, 정리집회를 진행하고 일정을 마쳤다.
http://www.voiceofpeople.org/new/2007042971651.html
Please see also:
☞ [4월 29일]117주년 메이데이 맞이 이주노동자 대회 
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