|
||
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
Issue No. 126 | 01 March 2002 |
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
I Don�t Like Sprouts
Interview: Clean Hands Corporate: Out of Asia Unions: Tears, Real And Crocodile, At The Ansett Wake Economics: Labour�s Capital: Individual Or Collective? History: Mardi Gras: The Biggest Labour Festival? International: Driving A Hard Bargain Review: In Bed With a Sub-Machine Gun Satire: Whitlam Forgives Kerr: "At Least He Didn't Dismiss A Rape Victim" Poetry: Dear Mother
The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review
 More on Harry BridgesWell Done, SplitterRepeating History
|
|
|
International Driving A Hard Bargain
*********** More than 100,000 workers in the gas, rail and electricity industries went out on strike this week - to demand the government stop privatisation, and introduce a shorter working week. Many Korean workers, both in the public and private sector, currently work a six-day week with long working hours. Government promises to introduce a five day working week have been held up by employer lobby groups threatening doom and gloom. The Korean Government has hit back with threats to arrest all union strike leaders. Prosecutors have already issued arrest warrants for 36 union leaders. With more than 400,000 visitors expected strikes during the World Cup in June could scupper the government's hopes of using the tournament to improve its image and help the re-election campaign of President Kim. Industrial action close to June's local election, or December's presidential election, could reduce support for the ruling party, increasing pressure on the government to delay privatisation Union Theatrics The theatrics of Korean industrial disputes are awe-inspiring for unionists who are used to the more placid Anglo-Celtic union culture of Australia, the UK, Canada or the USA. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the two national trade union centers - the KCTU and the FKTU - choreographed massive colourful flag waving, chanting demonstrations of 100,000 or more workers. Around ten thousand blue-collar workers from the railway unions, seeking to avoid police arrests, staged sit-ins at Seoul's two elite universities where they chanted slogans and wore bandanas calling on students to back them. The railway workers were supplied with sleeping bags by their unions so they could sleep on the library and chancellery steps while riot police surrounded the universities threatening to storm the campuses. Cathedral Refuge Meanwhile the key leaders of the public sector unions hid out at one of the major Roman Catholic Cathedrals in Seoul, demanding traditional christian refuge from the priests. Until recently the Myongdong Cathedral has been sympathetic to union leaders trying to avoid violent arrest and jailings - but this time the priests told Korean media they didn't want the union leaders in their Cathedral. However the priests' pleas, to date, have been ignored.
The public sector workers showed they were not isolated from the mainstream in their anti-privatisation and shorter working week campaign. Union colleagues in the private sector - especially car industry workers at Hyundai and Kia - backed the public sector campaign with four-hour solidarity stoppages in their industries. By Wednesday morning the railway workers had called off their stoppage after winning major concessions from the government over both privatisation and working hours. Meanwhile the strike at the state-owned electricity power company continues into its fourth day. Face-Saving Rail Accord The accord between the rail unions and the rail enterprises provided a face-saving formula for the government to continue insisting it will not change its policy on privatization. With the national election less than a year away President Kim wants to continue to insist he is pushing ahead with his privatisation program. But the accord virtually put the government program on hold by opening the way for the union to intervene in layoffs needed to pave the way for a sell-off. The state railway company Korea National Railroad (KNR) has also agreed to re-employ hundreds of militant rail union activists who they had sacked because of their anti-privatisation campaigning. KNR also agreed to cut working hours without a cut in pay or staff. The power workers are continuing marathon talks, that started Tuesday, demanding that management drop the privatisation plan to sell five power plants to foreign investors, while insisting on the reinstatement of militant workers. In support of the power workers, about 1,000 workers affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Transportation, Public & Social Services Workers' Unions held a street rally on Thursday and marched to Seoul's Myongdong Catholic Cathedral where they joined a rally in support of the power workers' union leaders who are claiming Christian refuge. You can read more articles about the Korean anti-privatisation dispute by visiting LabourStart's Korean page click here.
|
| Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
|
© 1999-2002 Workers Online 
|
|
