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MW Committee decides to concentrate on improving MW system during MW months
By Han Ei no
Staff reporter

While the schedule examining migrant related bill at the National Assembly is nearly approaching, Korea뭩 labor and civic organizations are voicing out to enact a righteous migrant workers� bill.
Totally 67 civic and labor organizations nationwide including members of JCMK organized the 'Joint countermeasure committee to eradicate discrimination against migrant workers and for proving labor basic rights (MW Joint Committee)', asserting to abolish trainee-employment system and eradication of corrupt labor trade system.
As the first big rally, the committee holds the 몉eport of human rights of migrant workers at Myongdong Cathedral, Seoul on November 29. The MW Joint Committee plans to sponsor various events during the migrant workers� month from November 26 to December 18, along with other migrant workers� support organizations in Asia, members of the Migrant Forum in Asia.
On November 10 and 11, officers of JCMK migrant support organizations had a meeting to check up the current situation and plan for the migrant workers� month.
At the National Workers Rally held by KCTU in Seoul on November 11 and 12, many migrant workers also participated in. Some 150 migrant workers standing on the front of the demonstrators group marched from Taehakro to Chongro 5-ga.
The national workers� rally is set up for commemorating death of Chon Tae-il who burned himself on November 8 1970. Chon Tae-il was angry at the situation of slavish Korean workers and accused to the public the labor situation of Korea where the labor laws were rarely implemented. He committed suicide holding a book of Labor Standard Law at Pyonghwa market in Seoul.

(MWJC organized, Events of Migrant Month)
The 'Joint countermeasure committee to eradicate discrimination against migrant workers and for proving labor basic rights (MWJ C) was launched at the office of the People뭩 Solidarity for Participation and Democracy (PSPD) with press conference at 11:00 am on November 3. The committee members covers almost all representative labor and civic movement camp in Korea, composed of 68 organizations such as national umbrella labor organizations of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), social movement organizations as the People뭩 Solidarity for Participation and Democracy (PSPD), Citizens� Coalition for Economic Juctice (CCEJ), Amnesty International Korea, Professors� Association for Democratic Society, National Coalition for Democracy and Reunification, and Yongdungpo Industrial Mission
The MWJC pointed out that 95 percent of foreign workers in Korea are working unequally as 30 percent are industrial trainees and other 65 percent are undocumented. They demanded to abolish trainee employment system causing discrimination against migrant workers, and violating human rights, and to prove basic labor rights upon migrant workers. The followings are five agendas MWJC demanded.
1. Abolishment of industrial trainee system, 2. Eradication of corrupt labor trading system, 3. Amnesty and granting eligible labor rights upon undocumented workers, 4. Implementation of righteous labor permission system/employment permission system, and proving perfect basic labor rights upon migrant workers, 5.ratification of UN Convention of protecting migrant workers and migrants� families.
Kicking off at the event at Myongdong Cathedral on November 13, keeping step with other migrant wupport organizstions in Asia, MWJC plans to disclose human rights violation of migrant workers, insisting to enact a fair migrant policy, and accelerate to struggle to improve legal system, which is being dealt now. The events that MWJC plans are as followings.
1. Lecture tour, 2. Producing posters and badges, 3. Street photo exhibition, 4. Visit migrant sending countries� embassies, and, 5. Signature collecting campaigns.
More, MWJC plans to advertise 몋he declaration for abolishment of discrimination against migrant workers and guarantee of basic rights upon migrant workers� with 500 personals on a daily newspaper on November 20 or 21.
Meanwhile, the rally for 멲bolishing trainee system and righteous migrant workers� policy� has been held on every Saturday at Ansan Station since October 28. Jointly organized by three migrant support organizations in Ansan, this rally will be held till the just law is enacted at the Ansan Station plaza at 1 o뭖lock every Saturday.

(KFSB Strongly Resist EPS)
The National Assembly has finished parliamentary audit since November 10, and will examine the submitted bills of laws from the late November. Hence, the bill of Employment Permission System by the Millennium Democratic Party is highly possible to be submitted to the National Assembly after November 20. The bill is supposed to be submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly after passing the Committee of Environment and Labor. The regular session of National Assembly lasts till end of December, though, generally the bills are passed from December 10 to 20. It seems that the term from end of November to beginning of December is probably very important time to determine the contents of the bill. Generally the bill passed at the committees are not modified at the plenary session of the assembly.
It뭩 like a tripartite power game � one part including KFSB wants to persist industrial trainee system, the other part is the government to enact EPS, and the last part is the migrant support power trying to get rid of the poisonous part of the law, and tries to make a migrant related law proving human rights and labor rights. The struggle will be lasted for one months � the place of conclusion will be depend on which part will pull the string strongly into its part.
Meantime, the Korean Federation of Small Business (KFSB) set a big banner with its slogan 멏o-Or-Die Resist EPS� before the governmental complex building in Kwachon. KFSB plans to have a big rally before the National Assembly building on November 20 or 21.