A-Infos (en) 120,000 strike in Korea

["Anarchist News Distribution (Platform )" <platform@geocities.com>]

 ________________________________________________
      A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
            http://www.ainfos.ca/
 ________________________________________________

General Strike in Korea
May 28, 1998

Korean Workers Rise Out of the Yoke of Crisis As
the Most Powerful Force for Genuine Reform But
Government Vows to Crack Down

On 1 p.m. May 27, some 120,000 workers downed
their tools and took to streets to protest the
rampant mass dismissals and to demand a genuine
reform.

              -----------------------
   Forwarded News 'of interest to anarchists'
  see bottom of post for source of this item
              -----------------------

Government Calls It Illegal and Vows to Crack
Down

The government responded by issuing statement
that the KCTU strike was illegal and vowed to
crackdown on KCTU leadership and the local
leaders who led the strike. Furthermore,
employers have threatened to sue unions for
losses and damages caused by the "illegal
strike". [Government claims the strike is illegal
because the Trade Union and Labour Relations
Adjustment Act allows unions to take strike
action (only?) over enterprise level issues which
an individual employer has capacity deal with.
Therefore, the current strike, just like the
general strike of 1996-7, is deemed illegal
because it deals with government policies and
actions.] KCTU leaders declared that KCTU would
have no option but to extend and expand strike
action if the government uses state instruments
to harass, arrest, or penalise unionists.

Workers Strike and March On

On the first day of the strike, 92,000 workers
from 53 unions of the Korean Metal Workers
Federation, 23,000 workers from 64 unions of the
Korean Federation of Public and Social Service
Workers Unions, 5,000 workers of the Regional
Health Insurance Cooperatives Employees Union,
3,000 workers of the Korean Federation of
Chemical Workers Unions took part in the first
warning general strike organised by the Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions.

Following strike meetings, the unionists
converged in major urban industrial centres
throughout the country to hold mass public
meetings. Some 60,000 workers took part in mass
rallies in 15 cities, with the biggest turn out
in Ulsan where over 30,000 workers took part,
including the members of the Hyundai Motors
Workers Union.

In the common "strike manifesto" read out in all
the regional mass meetings, the KCTU declared "
workers have shaken off the fear and anxiety
created by crisis. The government and the big
business -- supported by media who have become
the mouthpiece of the rich -- have exploited the
good will of workers and ordinary people by
forcing them to shoulder the entire burden of the
crisis and the cost of recovery. They have even
used the crisis as a threat to gag the just
grievances and demands. In rising to launch this
strike, the workers of KCTU have broken through
the obstacles and yokes place on us. We have
risen as a legitimate and genuine force to design
and build the shape of our future."

In another statement, "strike resolution", KCTU
declared "the government has turned its back to
our just and legitimate demands to put an end to
illegal and unfair labour practices. It is not
willing to address the issues of the ill-effect
and abuse of the dismissal law, effective trade
union participation in restructuring process,
reduction of working week, introduction of a new
employment tax, reduction of military spending,
mechanisms of public accountability of corporate
practices."

Government Not Yet Serious

The resolution went on to denounce the government
attitude: "It says that the issues of illegal and
unfair labour practices of specific employers
which were originally raised prior to the first
Tripartite Council can be dealt with the second
Council when it gets going. It says it cannot
commit itself to a specific amount for
unemployment relief fund in response to the KCTU
demands to create a 20 trillion fund. Instead it
hopes to raise some funds for unemployment relief
by laying off workers from public corporations.
To cap it all, the government stated that it has
no plans for the fundamental reform of the
chaebol system."

Despite the build up towards the launching of the
general strike, KCTU had engaged in negotiations
with the government for 19 hours from 4 p.m. May
26 till just 2 hours prior to the beginning of
the strike.

The government negotiation panel presented nine
point response to the KCTU's five demands. It
agreed to address objections and proposal raised
by the KCTU panel and seek authority from
superior officers. But the government panel spent
more time consulting with higher authorities, and
finally returned with an instruction from the
Minister of Labour to call off the negotiation,
without delivering any response to KCTU's counter
proposals.

KCTU will leave open the channels of
communication, dialogue, and negotiation with the
government. At the same time it will build up
pressure by hold mass meetings and rallies.

More Mass Action

KCTU will hold mass meetings in Seoul and other
major cities throughout the country on May 28.
More mass action is scheduled for Saturday May 30
and June 3. KCTU will step up organising for the
second round general strike on June 10. It is
expected to be larger than the first warning
strike with additional participation of public
sector workers.

The leadership of KCTU are camping out in the
steps of the Myongdong Cathedral, the site of the
historic general strike in 1996-1997, to provide
a stable headquarters for regular strategy
meetings and the convergence point of mass
rallies in Seoul.

Prospects for Negotiations

The government is expected to resume negotiating
despite its vehement rhetoric. It habours a keen
interest in achieving "something" President Kim
Dae Jung can take with him in his visit to the
U.S. Furthermore, the breaking of the "taboo" of
critical action in times of crisis may lead to a
more rational recognition of the need to
negotiation with the trade union movement on the
most important issues in the effort to overcome
the crisis and the reform agenda.

Source: KCTU Action Alert
http://kctu.org/news11.htm

Whats new on Revolt
   http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/new.html

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
       International Anarchist Web Page
   http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/inter.html

International Class Struggle anarchist discussion list,
    contact platform@geocities.com for details



	***A-INFOS DISCLAIMER - IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE***

A-Infos disclaims responsibility for the information in this message.


			********
		The A-Infos News Service
			********
		COMMANDS: majordomo@tao.ca
		REPLIES: a-infos-d@tao.ca
		HELP: a-infos-org@tao.ca
		WWW: http://www.ainfos.ca/
		INFO: http://www.ainfos.ca/org