Turn of the Workers Struggle in Korea
In the early morning of April 26, the leadership of Korea Telecom Trade Union called off the scheduled strike. So more than five thousand unionists, who were gathered at the Korea University, quitted the planned sit-in struggle and returned to work.
Source : NodongNet
Strike News #4
Tel : +82-2-7744-551, Fax : +82-2-7744 553
E-mail : labornet@jinbo.net
http://www.nodong.net/strike99/e_index.html
Turn of the Workers Struggle in Korea
In the early morning of April 26, the leadership of Korea Telecom Trade Union called off the scheduled strike. So more than five thousand unionists, who were gathered at the Korea University, quitted the planned sit-in struggle and returned to work.
The decision made by the KTTU leadership gave the great shock not only to the striking subway workers, but also all the workers of KCTU. Despite the stance of KCTU leadership to continue struggle until May Day, this move not only isolated the subway workers strike, but also discourage the spirit of workers, struggling already or ready to struggle.
Finally, after eight days' heroic struggle, the subway workers union suspended the strike and decided to return to work, in spite of the prospective government and corporate attack on the striking workers.
Nevertheless, the KCTU leadership is declaring on-going struggle against the massive lay-off and structural adjustment. Moreover, thousands of metal workers will join the strike waves, taking their turn and trying to lead their struggle to May Day struggle!
Seoul Subway Workers Union Quits the Strike ― A Step Back
Around 8 o'clock of April 26, at the union assembly held in Myungdong Cathedral hill, Seok Chi-soon, president of Seoul Subway Workers Union, declared, "The strike is over, and the union member are to return to work by 22:00." By this declaration, the eight-day long strike by subway workers is finished.
He solemnly said, "In this struggle, we got nothing. But no one of our union members accepted the unilateral restructuring imposed by the government and the corporation. From now on, we shall re-start the struggle against the structural adjustment from the workplace."
After his speech, Yang Gyung-gyu, co-chair of KPSU, declared the general strike of the public sector workers, adding that, following the heroic spirit of subway workers struggle, public sector workers will continue to struggle until the public sector restructuring is stopped.
The final rally of subway workers at the Myungdong, is joined by three or four thousand of subway workers from the maintenance, engineering and station staff divisions, who had sit-in at the Seoul National University, contrary to the over-estimated news about the workers crossing the picket line, by the government and conservative media.
From here to there over the rally spot, rank and file workers showed their anger and their companionship over unwavering struggle for the hard days. But they did not lose their own dignity, swearing their fresh will for the next round of struggle.
At the end of the rally, the leader of subway drivers division made a vigorous remark, "We kept the promise to our working brothers, that we shall fight against the redundancy dismissal. This struggle itself is our victory!"
KCTU Statement at the Press Conference
(27/04/99: abridged version)
KCTU all-out struggles against the government to continue!
KCTU denounces the present government's violence in military dictators' style, against the workers, such as unilateral structural adjustment, rejection of dialogue and negotiation with workers and sending-in riot police. These facts show that the government is no longer so-called 'people's government. We declare that our all-out struggles, including the general strike, are sure to proceed more intensively.
The Korea Telecom Workers Union called off the strike, and Seoul subway workers have returned to work. This decision was a very difficult one, considering internal conditions of trade unions and ordinary people's lives. However, we call it as 'one step backward for two steps forward' to organize an expanded struggles with refreshed force.
How can KCTU stop the intensive struggles in face of massive lay-offs, unemployment, and the homelessness?
Think over what the so-called 'people's government' has done to the striking workers for the last week. What is that the government gave to the workers through so many meetings of authorities concerned? Has the government repeated the same repressive attitude of past military dictatorships against the striking workers, such as manipulation of public opinion instead of holding open discussion, lots of disciplinary dismissals instead of stopping mass layoff, suing union leaders for business obstructions instead of observing collective agreements, and moreover sending in troops with helicopters to crash the strike instead of sincere dialogue and negotiation with workers?
KCTU's struggles are sure to be continued until the neoliberal policy is stopped, which the present government has learned from the neoliberal masters, the U.S. President Reagan and the British Prime Minister Thatcher. We know clearly that they committed violence of dismissing a lot of workers during the period of restructuring in both countries.
If the government rejects urgent demands of workers continuously, and if it proceeds to dismiss workers, to refuse to accept a dialogue, to use force, coercion, and violence against the workers, we will have no choice but to organize stronger general strike. If the government gives the subway workers further pain, on that moment the national catastrophe can never be avoided! This is what we solemnly warn to the present government!
27th, April, 1999
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
-- The Strike Situation of the 27th and 28th of April --
- Korean Metal Workers' Federation(KMWF) - the 27th of April
* All-out Strike : Daewoo Shipbuilding Workers Union
Han-bo Iron and Steel Workers Union
Dong-yang Aluminum Workers Union
* 4-hour Strike(afternoon) : Hankook Heavy Industries Workers
Union
* 4-hour Leaving earlier(afternoon) : Daelim Motors Trade Union
- KMWF - the 28th of April
* All-out Strike : Hankook Heavy Industry Workers Union
Daewoo Shipbuilding Workers Union
Hanbo Iron and Steel Workers Union
Dongyang Aluminum Workers Union
* 4-hour Strike(afternoon) : Daewoo Heavy Industries Workers
Union
Daewoo Motors Trade Union
Daewoo Precision Trade Union
* 2-hour Strike(afternoon) : Hyundai Precision Trade Union (local
Changwon)
* 4-hour Strike of the union's leadership : Ssangyong Motors
Trade Union
* General Assembly : Daelim Motors Trade Union
National University Employee's Union
* one day General Strike(27th of April)
KPSU(28th of April) - the 2nd wave of General Strike,
30,000 workers in 60 trade unions will join
1999 / -0 / 4-
|
