300 more workers taken by police, arrest warrants for 49 union leaders
On 19th, 2,500 riot police, armed with axes, hammers and rocks, came onto the cement-mixer drivers who have staged demonstrations in Yeoido since 25th May.
Source :
300 more workers taken by police, arrest warrants for 49 union leaders
- Madness continues in South Korea
300 cement-mixer drivers taken away by the police!
Madness continues, following police raids on the workers of Daewoo, Korea Telecom and Hyosung.
On 14th June, hundreds of riot police raided the Yeochon Naphtha Cracking Centre(YNCC) where workers have been on strike for a month. The workers have been demanding higher wages and benefits - demands which the company had turned a blind eye to.
On 19th, 2,500 riot police, armed with axes, hammers and rocks, came onto the cement-mixer drivers who have staged demonstrations in Yeoido since 25th May. The police axed and hammered onto the cement-mixer trucks that the workers had parked alongside their demonstrations, and threatened the workers with their lethal weapons. Several workers were injured in the process and all 300 workers have been stowed away on police buses and taken into custody. There is a possibility that the prosecutors will attempt to indict most of the 300.
The cement-mixer drivers, who had unlawfully been turned into contract workers, were on strike since 10th April, demanding over-time payments, recognition of their union, Sundays off - just showing the notorious conditions that the workers were working under. They receive way below the minimum wage insured by law, and work close to 70 hours a week. This is justified all by the fact that they are 'contract' workers.
Witch hunt to arrest union leaders and activists
Just as the Korean Air reached agreements and ended its two day strike, the police arrested 4 union leaders of the Korean Air Flight Crew Members' Union on Sunday, on charges of staging illegal strikes. The police also continues on its hunt for the 49 union members of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) including president of KCTU, Dan Byeong-Ho, the Secretary General, and leaders from the chemical and hospital unions. Yesterday, an official of KCTU, who allegedly made a police official lose consciousness during the Peoples' Rally on 16th June (who had in fact fell over during the chaos caused by the abrupt police attack, as testified even by a fellow police officer), was indicted of violence and interference to official duties. There is a force of 300 special police out looking for Dan, who has gone into hiding, and the police has also announced a 5 million won reward and special promotions to further motivate the hunt. Police informers disguised as insurance salesmen have been sent into the KCTU office, phones are being tapped, KCTU staff are followed everywhere - actions that can only be said to bring out reminiscence of fascist dictatorships.
The worst crackdowns ever, by a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
The police has staged brutal attacks on thousands of workers all around the country. Tens of workers and activists have been severely wounded, 120 workers have been arrested, hundreds face arrests, and 49 union leaders are on the run. This has all happened in the last couple of months. This is the picture of President Kim Dae-Jung regime.
From the onset of the workers actions, Kim Dae-Jung's government has vowed to take tough measures against any 'illegal and violent strikes', and the mainstream media has enthusiastically joined in this charade. The government's hard-line stance has stemmed from its resolve to wipe out workers' collective actions, prior to its plans to undergo massive privatizations in the public sector and intensified restructuring in the latter half of this year. Business leaders have recently been showing discontent at the 'slow' speed of the government to implement market reforms and restructuring, and complained that the government was not dealing with workers' resistance with a firm hand.
At the same time that the police raided the cement-mixer workers and the remaining Hyosung workers on high-rise towers, business leaders of Korea and the US, at their annual Kor-US Business Council meeting, agreed to push the process of the Bilateral Investment Treaty, and adopt a Free Trade Agreement. Not surprisingly, the chairman of the Korean side is Cho Suk-rai, the chairman of that very Hyosung.
|
