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Social Rebellion in North Africa
In Tunisia since almost four weeks, in Algeria since last Wednesday: An increasing mass movement, initiated and joined by thousands of workers and the unemployed (young and old, both males and females), fights against exploitation and oppression...
Mohamed Zitout, a former Algerian diplomat, explained: "It is a revolt, and probably a revolution, of an oppressed people who have, for 50 years, been waiting for housing, employment, and a proper and decent life..."
Last week's/current protests in Algeria:
Protests in Tunisia:
Related reports:
☞ Algeria cuts food costs amid unrest (al-Jazeera, 1.09)
☞ Algeria protests turn violent (al-Jazeera, 1.08)
☞ Anger in Algeria (al-Jazeera, 1.07)
☞ Algerian riots resume over food prices (Guardian, 1.07)
And here you can check out al-Jazeera's special section (articles, videos and pics) about the Tunisian Social Uprising: ☞ "Trouble in Tunisia"
For more updated info please check out LabourStart!!
The following article was published in today's (bourgeois) Korea Times:
Temporary workers struggle to regain jobs
Jan.05: Workers eat lunch during a sit-in protest in a building of Hongik University in Seoul
More than 30 janitors and cleaning ladies in their 50s and 60s have been holding a sit-in protest in the main building of Hongik University in Seoul for four days since Monday morning, demanding the school withdraw the collective termination of their employment contracts.
Despite freezing weather, they have been eating and sleeping on the cold floor of the Munheon Building on the campus. The first floor of the building was full of workers Wednesday; some chatting with one another and others preparing for another long, cold night. Many were busy preparing meals for everyone, while others were worried about their family back home.
“I worked at Hongik University for five years, and some have been here even longer, and the school told us to leave without any advance notice,” said Seo Bok-deok, 57, who was making coffee for fellow workers sitting on mats covering the cold concrete floors.
“I do wish we could have negotiations with the school, but they have not said anything,” she added.
Structural problems
The seeds of dispute were sown when 170 janitors, cleaners and guards of the school formed a labor union on Dec. 1 and demanded higher wages and better working conditions.
They were not directly hired by the school but were working for the school through contracts signed with two labor-supply companies. At the call for higher wages, the service companies asked the school to reflect their demand on contracts between the companies and school.
However, the school refused to sign the contracts, and the labor-supplying companies in turn informed the workers of the termination of contracts on Dec. 31.
The workers said they have been working, receiving hourly wages of 4,120 won, which is lower than the minimum legal wage of 4,320 won, and the school wanted them to extend the contract under the same conditions.
School officials refused to talk to reporters. They have maintained the position that the workers are not the party with which the school should talk with, as they were not directly hired by it.
Non-permanent workers
The conflict at the university is the latest in a series of labor disputes involving temporary workers. From top conglomerates and small mom-and-pop businesses, a growing number of employers are relying on these temporary workers as they can hire them at far lower wages.
The dispute at Hongik University reflects that the problem of non-regular workers is developing into a social issue that encompasses all generations from the youth to the elderly, analysts said.
According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), many schools have gone through such disputes with workers’ unions over the past couple of years.
Some 90 workers at Dongguk University were sacked after the school switched to a different service company, but it agreed to rehire them after they held days of demonstrations and sit-ins in December.
“The problem is that the universities usually avoid negotiations, claiming they are not the direct employers. The only way to solve this is to have them realize that the school is actually in charge of hiring and employing workers,” said Ryu Nam-mi, a policy director from the Preparation Committee for KCTU.
The student council at the school expressed their stance Thursday, saying that it in principle supports the workers who were fighting for their rights. It claimed that it was a matter to be solved between the school, workers and the contractors, indicating that the labor umbrella group should not meddle in the case.
Earlier the student council issued a statement that criticized the workers for their alliance with the militant KCTU in their struggle against the school, claiming that such protests could negatively affect the school’s reputation.
Most of the workers at Hongik worked 50 hours per week, receiving a monthly wage of 750,000 won plus 300 won for lunch a day.
When asked what she hoped for her and her fellow workers, Seo’s voice shook a bit, both from the cold and disappointment.
“There’s nothing complicated about it. We have received nothing prior to the layoffs. What more can we want? We just want our jobs back,” she said.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/01/117_79288.html
Today's struggle rally in front of Hongik University's main building
Today's related reports:
☞ 홍익대 총학생회, 청소노동자 집회 난입 외부세력 운운
☞ 홍익대 집단해고에 맞선 점거농성 3일차 투쟁보고
Yesterday's Hankyoreh had the following report (oddly enough filed under "entertainment"):
Harsh retribution
Female subcontractors that maintain and clean school facilities in Hongik University, Seoul, engage in a sit-in demonstration in front of the president’s office, demanding a meeting with the president and withdrawal of dismissals, Jan. 3.
Around 170 subcontractors in their 50s and 60s were fired last month as the university management terminated a contract with the service company that hired them. It was just several days after they organized a labor union in early December. The contracts of the subcontractors who were charge of cleaning, maintenance and security were in place since 1998 when South Korea was hit by foreign currency crisis, even though the service company hiring them changed. The only defense at this time was the fact that they made a labor union for improving treatment.
The workers usually worked from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. but earned a net income of about 750,000 Won ($668) and just 9,000 Won for lunch a month. They have shown strong determination to continue sits-in until they can work again...
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/457145.html
Related articles:
☞ 홍익대 청소·경비·시설노동자 170명 학교 점거 (KCTU, 1.04)
☞ 홍익대 청소노동자, 88만원 ‘노년’세대를 보다 (NewsCham, 1.05)
Student's solidarity with the worker's struggle (agitprop):
Bangladesh: Mass Protests and Riots Against Exploitation
Four workers were killed and more than hundred injured by police terror
Today's Hankyoreh "reported" the following:
Deadly clash at S.Korean-owned factory
South Korean-owned garment factory workers demanding the implementation of a new minimum wage clashed with police at an industrial zone in Chittagong, southeastern Bangladesh, on Sunday, leaving up to four people dead and some 150 hurt, the Associated Press reported.
Police fired live bullets and tear gas shells at the protestors after thousands of workers attacked factories and smashed vehicles at the Chittagong Export Processing Zone that houses about 70 foreign companies that mainly manufacture garments, shoes and bicycles, and employ about 150,000 workers.
Sunday‘s clashes came out as a South Korean company YoungOne shut down all 17 of its factories in the country late Saturday after workers attacked the facilities. YoungOne employees have argued that the government’s hike in wages that was supposed to come last month has not been implemented.
YoungOne is the largest garment maker in Bangladesh and a leading outdoor garment and equipment maker in Korea.
Related articles (in the bourgeois media):
☞ CEPZ erupts in violence, 4 workers killed (The Daily Star, 12.12)
☞ Six Korean firms hit by Bangladesh protests (K. Herald, 12.13)
For more info please check out LabourStart!
Hyundai Irregular Workers' Factory Occupation Ends after 25 Days
(by Wol-san Liem/Research Institute for Alternative Workers Movements, 12.10)
Yesterday (December 9), members of the Hyundai Motors Irregular Workers Chapter of the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) left factory 1 of the Hyundai Plant in Ulsan. Their departure marked the end of a 25-day long occupation, which they had endured without adequate food, water or bedding.
Today, representatives from the Hyundai Motors Irregular Workers Chapter, the Hyundai Motors Local Branch (regular workers), and the KMWU sat down with representatives from Hyundai Motors and its in-house subcontractors. In accordance with an agreement reached between the President of the Irregular Workers Chapter, Lee Sang-su, President of the Local Branch, Lee Gyeong-hun and President of the KMWU, they presented the following 4 demands: 1) Cancellation of damage suits and charges against workers who participated in the occupation, and payment of medical bills; 2) guarantee of reinstatement for those who participated in the occupation, 3) protection for strike leaders, and 4) a plan for negotiations concerning the regularization of illegal dispatch workers.
While negotiations have begun, it will be an uphill battle to get demands met, and take even more determination before the ultimate goal of regularization for illegal dispatch workers is achieved. Past experience including a similar struggle in 2005, has shown that without the pressure of a factory occupation it is not likely that Hyundai Motors will yield much ground. For this reason many of the striking workers had not wanted to leave factory 1 until after their demands were met in full, and originally pledge to continue the occupation until Hyundai agreed to employ them directly as regular workers.
In reality, however, the striking irregular workers have faced increasingly difficult conditions in the last several days. In addition to repression at the hands of Hyundai Motors, they have been put under growing pressure by the leadership of the Hyundai Local Branch to bring their struggle to a speedy conclusion. While the KMWU Delegates Assembly voted in favor of a general strike in support of the irregular workers struggle on December 22, it had not set a firm date. Meanwhile, President Lee Gyeong-hun of the Hyundai Motors Local Branch determined to put the general strike to a second vote at a Branch general assembly, despite the fact that the KMWU Constitution gives the delegates assembly the right to call for a general strike. When the Hyundai Motors Local Branch leadership could have been educating its members on the importance of regular-irregular workers solidarity and preparing for the general strike, it was instead suggesting to its members that it was time for struggle to be over.
With knowledge of the negative result of the Branch general assembly, and the reality that the second vote signified the cancellation of general strike plans and the loss of support from the Branch, the irregular workers set to heated debate within the factory about whether to go one with their occupation or agree to leave and begin negotiations with a set of less than satisfactory demands. In the end, they chose to accept the demands listed above as a basis for negotiation and entrusted the decision to continue or end the occupation to the Chapter leadership. After meeting with the KMWU and Branch presidents, Lee Sang-su declared an end to the occupation.
Sadly, the conclusion of the occupation demonstrates clearly the limits of the solidarity between regular and irregular workers developed in the beginning of the strike and, even more so, the lack of will on the part of the Hyundai Motors Branch’s leadership to support a strike that it should have recognized as the struggle of all Hyundai workers.
Nonetheless, there have been important victories through this struggle. The consciousness and daring of a few irregular workers quickly spread throughout the Irregular Workers Chapter and from Ulsan to Asan to Jeonju. The hundreds who participated in the strike have been transformed through the experience, coming to recognizing their common cause and developing the power and courage to demand their right to be treated equally. They constructed and made use of democratic decision-making structures even in the midst of the cruel conditions of their factory occupation, and formed a still growing sense of class-consciousness. Despite the fact that they will return to work on December 13, Hyundai irregular workers have vowed to continue organizing among their colleagues and preparing for the next phase of the struggle for regularization. As one reporter commented, the end of the factory occupation at the Ulsan Plan represents, "a victory for the Hyundai irregular workers themselves, but a loss for the labor movement as a whole."
It is the power of class-consciousness and unity that makes struggle possible. The struggle, therefore, will surely go on.
http://www.unionbook.org/profiles/blogs/hyundai-irregular-workers?xg_source=activity
Yesterday's Strike Newsletter:
The Sit-in strike by "irregular" workers of Hyundai Motor (today is the 24th day of their struggle!!) shows no signs of concluding because the Seoul-based carmaker has failed to solve the problems through discussions. The striking workers (hired by subcontractors), who have occupied buildings at the corporation’s plants in Ulsan since Nov. 15, want to become regular employees of Hyundai Motor based on full-time contracts.
Today's Hankyoreh published (strangely under "art&entertainment") the following piece about the strike's current situation:
Watershed for Hyundai sit-in
Around 400 in-house contractors of Hyundai Motor Co. met another dawn with stiff bodies on Tuesday, the 23rd day of sit-in strike demanding regular workers’ status.
Determination
The Hyundai No. 1 Factory in Ulsan they occupied has turned into ‘cold wintery island’ as company has cut off access to the strikers, in addition to cutting off access to electricity and water.
Sleeping curled up
The biggest pains reported by strikers are not the cold or isolation, but starvation. Three contractors fell down from malnutrition and some 100 contractors gave up until Dec. 7 because they entered the sit-in without any preparation...
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/452767.html
Today in the morning(KST) about 45,000 regular unionists of Hyundai Motor - orgainzed in the KCTU/KMWU - voted on whether or not to support the strike by irregular workers (they're also organized in KCTU!!). The results will be released tomorrow afternoon(KST).
In its latest editorial The Hankyoreh(12.08) demanded: "Hyundai motor union should support striking irregular workers". But today's (bourgeois) Korea Times predicts: "The chances are that they will vote against the idea"...
Related articles:
☞ UAW rallies for Hyundai strikers in Korea (Automakers, 12.06)
☞ Hyundai fails to bring plant back online (K. Herald, 12.06)
☞ Why Hyundai Motor can’t fix deal with irregular workers (K. Times, 12.08)
Last week KCTU/KMWU called for "National Popular Rallies" to support the strike struggle by hundreds of Hyundai Motor's irregular workers(in Ulsan, Jeonju and Asan).
But y'day(12.04), the date of the solidarity rallies, only a very small number of labour activists showed up...
In downtown Seoul about 1000 activists joined the 'event'...
...and in Ulsan only 700 people gathered for a solidarity rally/demo:
Related reports:
☞ 전국민중대회, 현대차 비정규직 총력투쟁 결의 (NewsCham, 12.04)
☞ 영남권 민중대회 "아름다운 연대에 함께하자" (Ulsan NodongNews)
Today is the 17th day of Hyundai Motor's irregular workers (sit-in)strike!
Yesterday's (bourgeois newspaper) Korea Times reported the following about the current situation at the "front line":
Hyundai’s temporary workers cornered
Hyundai Motor’s contract workers have continued striking and protesting for 16 days, but they are gradually losing ground, cornered by the hostile government, the rock-ribbed Hyundai Motor and the permanent employees’ union that still hasn’t decided on its full support for their non-regular counterparts.
The latest blow comes from the local police force, Ulsan Dongbu Police Station, which requested arrest warrants for seven leaders in the contract workers’ strike including Lee Sang-soo, the temporary workers’ union leader.
The police said that Hyundai Motor sued the leaders for obstruction of work, and they have been ordered to appear at the police station. As they haven’t, the police are now seeking to arrest them.
On Tuesday, some 30 members of the contract workers’ union were taken to the police station for trying to occupy the second assembly line of the automaker, which produces the Santa Fe sport utility vehicles.
The government is yet to exercise its power to stop the strike, and there has continued tense confrontation between contract workers and Hyundai Motor’s security guards and managers with both parties claiming they have been physically assaulted.
Bahk Jae-wan, the employment and labor minister, said Monday in a meeting with journalists that the strike by contract workers is illegal and called for them to stop striking as of Monday. The Korean labor law prohibits temporary workers from going on strike to win permanent jobs.
Bahk’s remark was interpreted by the local media as an ultimatum before the government exercises its authority.
Hyundai Motor also hasn’t become any more lenient on the contract workers’ demand. The automaker’s Vice President Kang Ho-don refused Sunday to negotiate directly with non-regular workers, but said the firm will hold talks if non-regular workers stop the strike and occupation of the assembly line. He said that the talks should involve the company, the permanent employees’ union, subcontractors and the labor union of contract workers.
On Kang’s request, the non-regular workers’ union said officially Monday that it would continue occupying the plants and striking until the automaker comes up with a realistic plan to give them permanent jobs.
Contract workers’ occupation of the plant has given them some leverage in voicing their demands because it has completely stopped the production of the newly-unveiled, much anticipated Accent. Hyundai Motor says that it has so far been unable to produce about 18,700 vehicles and therefore lost 208 billion won.
Furthermore, contract workers’ relationship with the permanent employees’ union began showing some strain after the latter’s leader Lee Kyung-hoon was allegedly grabbed by the collar by a former contract worker who remains a member of the non-regular workers’ union.
The permanent employees’ union said Monday in a newsletter it is tragic that Lee was stopped when he tried to enter the sit-in site at the first assembly line to discuss solutions and supply contract workers with food. The newsletter called for contract workers to regain their countenance and for trust to come first.
On the official website of the non-regular workers’ union, several postings claimed that Lee had not been physically threatened and complained that the Lee’s union isn’t supportive enough.
The permanent employees’ union has given moral support and provided food to the isolated contract workers on strike, but hasn’t promised to go on strike along with the umbrella labor union the Korea Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU).
The KMWU declared on Nov. 22 that it would go on a nationwide strike in early December if Hyundai Motor doesn’t start negotiating with non-regular workers by the end of November.
Although the permanent employees’ union belongs to the KMWU, it decided Monday that all members will vote on whether or not they would go on strike.
In such a situation, the strike isn’t expected to end in the near future. Hyundai Motor and the contract workers have completely different views that they are unwilling to adjust...
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/11/123_77249.html
For more updated info please check out:
☞ 울산노동뉴스
Yesterday's "Strike Bulletin":
About one hour ago Yonhap reported the following:
A sit-in strike by temporary workers of Hyundai Motor, the nation's largest automaker, was gaining force as an umbrella union group with nearly 140,000 members pushed Monday for a general strike to join the protest in demanding formal employee status for the workers.
About 550 workers have taken over the automaker's main assembly line in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since Nov. 15, clashing with riot police and partially crippling the factory's production...
The Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), the country's largest industrial union in the automobile, steel, machinery and shipping sectors, said after a meeting of representatives Monday that it will call a general strike in early December unless Hyundai Motor's management agrees to open negotiations with the striking workers.
A total of 401 KMWU representatives attended the meeting and 302 of them, or 75.3 percent, approved the general strike plan, union officials said.
"If the prolonged strike makes it impossible to operate manufacturing lines normally, the company has no option but to shorten the operation and close the factory," Hyundai Motor's Vice President Kang Ho-don said in a letter to employees.
With the strike gaining momentum, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office vowed to sternly act against the extended walkout.
"The strike by irregular workers of Ulsan factories is illegal," Lee Young-nam, senior prosecutor in charge of public safety, said, expressing concern that the labor dispute could grow into a full-blown and long-lasting one if the temporary workers form an alliance with other labor organizations.
He added that his office is currently preparing criminal proceedings to hold protesters responsible for the damage claimed by the company.
Hyundai Motor filed a suit last week against 27 workers who led the walkout, seeking 3 billion won for financial damage, and Monday filed another suit against them seeking an additional 3 billion won, doubling the compensation amount.
According to the company, the strike is expected to cause more than 100 billion won in production losses by Tuesday morning if the walkout continues throughout the day. It is the biggest loss caused by a non-regular workers' strike, the company noted.
"If the Korea Metal Workers' Union joins the strike, prosecutors will consider a response at a national level accordingly," Lee said.
The dispute began when the irregular workers, hired by a Hyundai Motor subcontractor, urged the automaker to abide by a Supreme Court ruling in July that contract employees who have worked for more than two years should be considered permanent workers...
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/11/22/5/0302000000AEN20101122008500315F.HTML
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