CINA

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Members of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union(KMWU) started to protest on Jan. 30 outside of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Busan shipyard. They sit with the coffin of Choi Gang-seo, a worker and union member who committed suicide after being laid off from his job at Hanjin. After Choi’s suicide, the union asked to discuss the matter with Hanjin, but the company declined to discuss it, saying it was a personal matter. The unionists are protesting asking Hanjin to drop their 15.8 billion won (US$14.8 million) lawsuit against the union for "damages" incurred during their strike...

And last Saturday(Feb. 2) thousands of KCTU activists and members of solidarity organisations took the streets of Busan to support KMWU's protest. After the opening rally - during the demonstration, heading for Hanjin's shipyard - they were confronted with a massive force of riot cops...

Here some impressions, photographed by comrade Yoon Kyeong-min:

Related reports:

☞ 한진중공업 앞, ‘물품반입’ 놓고 경찰과 시위대 충돌 (NewsCham, 2.02)
☞ "용역 없다더니" 딱걸린 한진중공업 (OMN, 2.03)
 

The rally, demo and police attacks... reported by Voice of People(VOP):
☞ http://www.vop.co.kr/A00000594796.html
☞ http://www.vop.co.kr/A00000594813.html 
 

And finally some impressive photo reports you can see here(KCTU) and here(VOP)!!
 

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Last Friday(2.01) in the  morning riot cops and so-called "security staffers"(i.e. hired thugs) raided and destroyed the sit-in struggle site of Cort/Cor-tek workers in Incheon/Bupyeong!!

Here some more impressive pics from the police attack and the resistance against it, photographed by Yoon Kyeong-min:

More detailed info(in Korean) about the ongoing struggle of the dismissed Cort/Cor-tek guitar manufacturing workers you can check out here. And finally here you'll get some English background info (incl. pics and videos, but not updated...) about the Cort/Cor-tek struggle.
 

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Y'day (1.30), the (South)Korean Metal Workers Union staged a 4 hour strike, demanding
▶ Abolition of mass layoffs
▶ Regularization of illegally subcontracted workers
▶ Smash of union busting
▶ Withdrawal of lawsuit for compensation of damage

To support KMWU's strike, KCTU held rallies in Seoul (Hanjin Heavy Industry HQ), Busan (Central Railway Station), Ulsan (Hyundai Pylon Sit-in Venue), and Gwang-ju(Regional Labour Office).

In Seoul, at 4 o'clock, about 2,500 KCTU members and KMWU striking workers gathered in front of Hanjin Headquarter and suddenly took the street to march. The police failed to block the marchers who were determined to follow the will of their deceased colleagues and strong enough to go through the police line...

 
In Busan, after the rally in front of the central railway station, 1,700 members of KMWU (Hanjin Heavy Industry Local Branch) who lost their colleague Choe Gang-seo and his family members marched from the funeral hall to Hanjin Yeong-do Shipyard with his coffin. They arrived in the Democracy Square inside the shipyard and sit down to ask the employer to take a responsibility on his death. The police blocked up the main gate of the shipyard to prevent union members from bringing freezer truck and dry ice needed to keep his body. The police used tear gas and clubs against Choe's family members and colleagues when they entered the shipyard.

 (text and pics: KCTU)

Related reports:
☞ 금속노조 파업 결의대회...“정치권에 기대 말라” (NewsCham, 1.30)
☞ 시퍼렇게 살아있네 (Metal Worker, 1.31)

 

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Solidarity Food Tent to Support the "Gangjeong Angels"

An activist’s mother started to raise funds for activists’ fines with her traveling food stall

Oh Yeong-ae, mother of the young female video maker Kim Gami has recently started a nationwide-traveling street food stall, to raise funds for young activists’ fines.
  

About 15 activists have recently gotten the court decision of fines, minimum 3 to 4 million won(USD 2760-3680) for each, for their protests to stop the construction trucks in front of gates.

As the trials and fines against activists are rapidly increasing, the issue to solve the matter of fines has become a big issue in the village. A supporting group, 'Friends og Gangjeong', that launched last December is collecting funds for activists’ fines’ as well. But the amount will just increase by more coming trials...

Hearing that those young activists are making the decision for prison labor since they can’t afford fines and seeing her daughter’s suffering from the pain of her friends, Gami’s mother decided to raise funds for them by opening a traveling street food stall (more detailed info about the traveling schedule, menu etc. you'll get here).  [Text by Choi Sung-hee]
                                                                                                                            

Here you can (MUST!!) see a really beautiful photo essay by Lee Woo-ki...

Related article:
☞ 강정 수호천사 돕기 '힐링 포장마차' 출발 (서울의소리, 1.29)



 

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Y'day afternoon(KST) comrade Hong Jong-in(KMWU)...

..."celebrated", together with hundreds of other labour activists, his 100s day of sit-in struggle(*) on top of an underpass in Ansan(about 100km southwest of Seoul)...

 
* The Hankyoreh(2012.11.25) wrote the following about his struggle:

Someone is dangling from a 5m high underpass next to the Yoosung Enterprise Co. (YPR) factory in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. On top of the underpass is an eight-lane highway; below it is a four-lane road. The bridge is always jittery from the cargo trucks that constantly roar by above and below. Tied by rope to the bridge railing is a plywood platform that measures 2m long and 1m wide. This is the site of Hong Jong-in’s aerial protest. Hong, 39, is leader of the YPR Ansan chapter of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union.
“A parliamentary audit revealed in October that the shutting down of the workplace last year was an illegal attempt by the company and Changjo Consulting to bust the union,” explained Hong. “Despite that, no one from management has been punished for breaking the law.” Starting in May 2011, the union filed 23 complaints about the company’s unfair treatment of workers with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, but the case was not sent to the public prosecutors until September 2012. Who knows when the investigation will be completed and a decision made? For Hong, who has been demanding that the company be punished, there was no alternative to the aerial protest.

Related article:
☞ KMWU exposes Yoosung union busting strategy (IMF, 2011.5.28)

 

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Last Saturday (1.26) in the morning under the motto...

"Once Again: Let's Create Hope!"

... the 2nd stage of the new 'Hope Bus' campaign started and led - despide freezing temperatures - hundreds of activists to Pyeongtaek(Ssangyong pylon sit-in struggle)...

...and to the industrial city of Ulsan:

Related articles:
☞ 쌍용차로 향한 희망버스… “朴, 국정조사 외면할 경우 용서하지 않을 것 (VOP, 1.26)
☞ 한 희망이 다른 희망에게... "쌍용차 국정조사는 그 출발" (OMN, 1.26)
☞ 쌍용차 철탑농성장으로 향한 희망버스 (NewsCell, 1.26)

 

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Photo by Jin Park


 

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Solidarity with the Protest of Hyundai Workers in Ulsan!

Since 100 days(!!) two labor activists - one official of the temporary workers' union of Hyundai Motors and the other a former 'irregular' worker at the automaker - are now in sit-in strike on a power supply post...

The protest began last year on Oct. 17 when Choe Byeong-seung and Cheon Ui-bong ascended a 50-meter electrical pylon near the Myeongchon Gate of Hyundai Motor’s factory in Ulsan. Choe, 36, was previously dismissed from his position as an in-house subcontractor employee at Hyundai Motor. Cheon, 31, is secretary-general of the temporary worker union’s Hyundai Motor chapter. By staging protest, workers hope to finally resolve illegal dispatch worker issue(here you can read a detailed article).

Related and almost daily updated articles/reports about the class struggle in S. Korea(incl. the pylon sit-in strike in Ulsan) you'll get here(LabourStart)!!