A-Infos (en) Korean workers power from below

[pj lilley <pj@tao.ca>]

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 09:01:57 -0800
From: Heidi Swierenga <heidis@bc-alter.net>

Developments in the last few days show that those who had written off the
militancy of Korean workers were a bit too hasty in their assessment...
tj

********

KCTU delegates reject the "Tripartite Agreement" 

Rank and File Revolution in KCTU Delegate Convention

KCTU rejected the tripartite agreement in extraordinary delegation
convention held in Seoul on February 9.

The convention hall was filled with about 270 regular delegates and over
500 observers, and the session began at 2:00 p.m., ending at 3:00 a.m. next
morning with heated discussion and tough debates. 

In the course of discussions, delegates said, "We cannot accept the
legislation of lay-off and temporary manpower agencies systems, for it will
endanger our lives", "If those systems are legislated, our workplace will
be ruined", "Such measures as the legalization of National Teachers' Union
or the guarantee of unions' political activities are important, but they
are fundamental labor rights which ought to be guaranteed, not something
for deal with lay-off and temporary manpower agencies systems." And some
delegates showed their strong opposition against the tripartite agreement,
claiming that "KCTU leadership, which would not accept the lay-off and
temporary manpower agencies systems, arbitrarily signed the agreement, and
this is no better than authority arbitration of business union leaders who
absolutely ignore opinions of their rank and file union members."

KCTU delegate felt sorry and indignant at the situation of leadership
resignation en masse, but they also recognized it is right for democratic
union movement "to correct errors in a humble way on the basis of comradely
affection". They resolved "to prepare a new struggle, on the basis of unity
and solidarity, not division."

Official Statement of KCTU delegation convention

The Decisions made by Extraordinary Delegates Convention on Feb. 9

1. approval of the tripartite agreement: rejected by 184 delegates of 272
attending - against the legislation, and demanding renegotiations; if not
accepted, start of struggle; if legislated, immediate start of general
strike; concrete plans shall be committed to ECC.

2. total resignation of standing staffs of KCTU

3. infinite postponement of KCTU official election

4. formation of Emergency Executive Committee(EEC) election of Dan Byung-Ho
as chairperson of EEC (present president of KDFMTU, Korean Democratic
Federation of Metal Trade Unions)

5. adoption of the resolution demanding dissolution of chaebols,
legalization of National Teachers' Union, release of imprisoned workers,
reinstatement of dismissed workers, etc. (Drafting resolution shall be
committed to EEC)





Official Resolution of KCTU delegation convention

Resolution of KCTU delegates

The Plan for KCTU general strike struggle

WE DEMAND the retirement of chaebol chiefs and offering their personal
wealth to the society

WE ARE AGAINST the legislation of lay-off on managerial reasons and
temporary manpower agencies systems

1. The Tripartite Social Agreement, drafted in the dawn of February 6,
contains inadequate and formal proposal about chaebol reform, and it
rejects the proposal of retirement of chaebol chiefs and offering their
personal wealth to the society, introduction of external directors and
auditors, and legislation of workers participation in corporate management.

2. And it gives employers unfettered freedom to lay off the workers, even
in case of merger and acquisition, and makes its intention clear to
legislate the man-power agencies system, which is bound to cause insecure
employment, worsened working conditions and weakened union activities.
Besides, it endangers the fundamental living condition and rights of
workers by providing 5 trillion won for job security fund, which is below
the minimum requirement for efficient work, and by rejecting the payment of
union officials.

3. In this situation, KCTU declares that the Tripartite Social Agreement is
essentially anti-labor measure, passing the suffering to workers
exclusively, not sharing the burdens, and resolves to struggle resolutely
according to the following schedule.



1) KCTU has nullified the key points of the tripartite agreement by voting
against it in 8th extraordinary delegate convention of February 9th. So
KCTU leadership resigned in a body in responsibility for this temporary
agreement, and a new Emergency Executive Committee was formed, in which
representatives of industrial federations and regional councils took part.
Dan Byung-Ho, President of Korean Democratic Federation of Metal Trade
Unions, was appointed as chair of Emergency Executive Committee by
delegates.

2) KCTU demand strongly once again the retirement of chaebol chiefs, who
are most responsible for the current economic crisis, and offering their
personal wealth to the society, the stoppage of unfair labor practice, the
release of imprisoned workers, and the reinstatement of dismissed workers.
We also emphasize the demands for such reform measures as the fundamental
reform of chaebol system through introducing external director and auditor,
workers' participation in corporate management, and separation of property
and management, the guarantee of workers fundamental rights corresponding
the international labor norms, the funding of 10 trillion won for job
security, and the stoppage of legislation of lay-off on managerial reasons
and temporary manpower agencies systems

3) In order to implement these demands, KCTU call for President-Elect's
camp to renegotiate in the tripartite commission, and if this call is not
accepted or the legislation is attempted, KCTU will not attend the
tripartite commission and start the general strike struggle on national
scale. For this purpose, KCTU member unions will resolve to wage general
strike on February 11 and 12, and hold a rally before National Congress for
New Politics headquarter at noon n February 12. And from the afternoon of
February 13, KCTU will launch a national-wide general strike (before
February 13, in case lay-off and manpower agency bills are on agenda in the
standing commission of National Assembly, KCTU will launch a general strike
immediately), and on the day of the general strike, KCTU will organize
massive regional rallies after union rallies in workplace.

4) Finally, KCTU strongly demands President-Elect camp that the attempt be
stopped forcefully to legislate lay-off and temporary manpower agencies
system and that the renegotiation proposal be accepted for thorough reform
of chaebol system and stabilization of employment. And we wholeheartedly do
not hope that their rejection of our proposal will cause unnecessary
situation.



February 10, 1998

Emergency Executive Committee of KCTU 
Chairperson DAN, Byung-Ho
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PICIS Newsletter


Published by PICIS (Policy and Information Center for International
Solidarity)

No. 4 (weekly)
Edited by Anna

February 9th, Monday, 1998

Editor's Notice

PICIS was established for joining in the international solidarity movement
against neoliberalistic attacks by the transnational capital worldwide, as
well as for launching practical international solidarity movement among
South Korean progressive forces.

We aim at not only sharing policies and information with foreign
progressive organisations but also making practical supporting movement
with workers' and peoples' struggles, who are suppressed and exploited.

This newsletter contains Korean progressive forces' activities, and through
this newsletter we want to contact and make solidarity with foreign
activists and make practical activity with all of you

website : http://kpd.sing-kr.org/~picis
e-mail : hanboss@nownuri.net, hanboss@mail.nownuri.net
address : PICIS, 1578-3, Woosung Bdg. 5F, Shilim1Dong, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul, 
Korea
mailinglist : list@mail..sing-kr.org (To join, send a message to this
address, with 
the word 'subscribe picis' as the only text in the message)

SPECIAL!! Agreement of the Tripartite Commission and Rejection from Below

CONTENTS OF THE AGREEMENT

On Feb. 6, Tripartite Commission, which is composed of government,
management, and labor, agreed on 'the plan for empolyment bill'. The plan
contains erasure of 2-year postponement on layoff(this was forced by
'96-'97 general strike) and allowance of layoff in case of M&A.

Highlights of the agreement are followings.



•Public servants are allowed to form a labor consultative body from 1999.
Teachers can form a trade union in July, 1999. •Political activity of trade
union is permitted in the first half of this year. •Labor laws will be
revised to permit layoffs this month. •Worker dispatch system(use of
alternative manpower) is confined to highly specialized professions. •The
government must establish a 5-trillion-won(about 3 billion US$)
'unemployment fund.' 



Main Conditions for Layoffs



•There should be urgent need, or merger and acquisition of businesses.
•Employers must make every effort to avoid layoffs. •Employers must select
those to be dismissed based on a fair standard. Sexual discrimination in
dismissals is banned. •Employers must notify workers of their dismissal
plan 60 days in advance. •Employers must make efforts to re-employ laid-off
workers. 



Unsolved Issues



•Payment of wage for union fulltimer. •Corporates' management transparency.
•Democratic industry relations. 



OPINIONS ON THE AGREEMENT OF EACH ORGANISATION

KCTU (Korean Confederation of Trade Union, second largest labor
organisation of militant unions) : As for the rank and file, it is
insufficient, but we tried our best. We achieved many things, such as
legalization of Teachers' Union, permission of union's political activity,
construction of committee for the shortening of working time, release of
the prisoned, and the prevention of company's illegal anti-labor measures.
The grassroot unionists would regret the item on M&A, but we will have to
do our best with more strict conditions for layoffs.

FKTU (Federation of Korean Trade Union, largest labor organisation of
yellow unions) : We agreed on burden-sharing believing next regime's
promise that they would inspect the cause of present economic crisis and
bring reforms on chaebol and politics. We are not satisfied with this, but
as for the layoff, it was inevitable in situation of 'national moratorium
crisis'. We will strengthen organisational activity for the observance of
agreed items and will cope with mass layoffs and illegal anti-labor
measures.

Teachers' Union (illegal union at present) : We welcome the agreement, it
not being enough that the permission on union is delayed for one and a half
year. Moreover, it is a historic event like change of political power that
we made rational industrial relation through agreement among labor,
management, and government.

NADRK (National Alliance for Democracy and Reunification of Korea, one of
the biggest political groups. Its strategy is for National Liberation.) :
We welcome the agreement, for it made solution for the crisis through three
parties' concession. Legalization of employment settlement will make large
number of jobless people and it will threaten social unification. The
government and employers should try to evade unemployment through
shortening of working time.

People's Victory 21 (joint political group including KCTU, NADRK, and so
on.) : The agreement opens a possibility for solution to present crisis,
but innocent workers is being forced one-sided sacrifice. The government
should immediately make special law for union's engagement in management,
complete reform on chaebols' ownership and management structure, and
shortening of legal working time. Political Solidarity (somewhat radical
and militant group) : We are surprised and denounce the agreement. Saying
equal pain-sharing, the Commission adopted layoff and worker dispatch
system, which are an 'employment destruction strategy' ignoring workers'
and people's basic rights. Leadership of KCTU forgot their 'opposition to
layoff and worker dispatch system' and 'intensive struggle including
general strike', and decided their agreement undemocratically.

PROMPT REPORT : TEMPORARY REPRESENTATIVE MEETING REJECTED THE AGREEMENT AND
DECIDED GENERAL STRIKE

>From 3 pm. Feb. 2 to 3 am. 9th, the temporary representative meeting of
KCTU held. The representatives rejected the agreement of Tripartite
Commission and decided general strike against layoff bill.

After the announcement of agreement, a lot of local and affiliated unions
declared "The decision on agreement to layoff bill is anti-labor one of
leadership, so all of them must resign from their positions." Furthermore,
there were heard voices saying "Let's make another union federation." The
decision by this meeting is reflecting present situation.

The representatives drove out vicarious president Pae Suck-bum, who
resigned by himself, and put off leadership election infinitely. And KCTU
constructed emergency committee and elected Dan Byoung-ho, president of
Democratic Metal Workers' Federation, as chairman.

They decided also followings.

"1. We should demand re-negotiation on the basis of opposition to layoff.

2. If our demand would be rejected, we will not participate in the
Commission.

3. If the layoff bill is passed unilaterally on Feb. 14, KCTU will arrange
general strike immediately.

4. The schedule and method of struggle is entrusted to the emergency
committee."

Notice

1. PICIS has an journal which covers foreign movements. If you have a
struggles you want to inform us or need solidarity struggle, send them to
us.

2. If you have comments or anything, contact us.

3. If you support any struggle in Korea, send a message to us. We will
translate it and publicise in Korean to the Korean workers. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------



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