No amnesty for imprisoned South Korean trade unionists
On the proposal of the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers' Federation, the KCTU is now organising a nation-wide rally - still to be confirmed, but probably on August 23 - to protest the government's repression of trade unionists and its refusal to grant amnesties to the imprisoned workers.
REP. OF KOREA: South Korea's Independence Day, celebrated yesterday (August 15), has come and gone and not one of the imprisoned trade unionists was granted a special amnesty by either President Kim Dae-jung or his government, even though many citizens and a majority in Parliament were pushing for it.
The IMF organised its second International Day of Action in late June, as well as a letter campaign during the last two weeks, calling for the release of Dan Byung-ho, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), and over 50 South Korean trade unionists who have been in prison on account of legitimate trade union activities. In early July, two imprisoned leaders of the Daewoo autoworkers' union were released as a result of the international campaign.
On the proposal of the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers' Federation, the KCTU is now organising a nation-wide rally - still to be confirmed, but probably on August 23 - to protest the government's repression of trade unionists and its refusal to grant amnesties to the imprisoned workers.
In September, a delegation from the International Labour Organisation will visit South Korea to follow up on ILO recommendations to the government regarding the imprisoned trade unionists.
The IMF would like to take this opportunity to thank its many affiliates who participated in the International Day of Action and the recent letter campaign. Both have received wide media coverage, internationally and within South Korea itself, and certainly none of this has fallen on deaf ears.
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