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A Solidarity Statement by ILPS-Philippine Committee and BAYAN On the Protest Action of the Equality Trade Union- Migrants Branch, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU), April 07, 2002.

The International League of Peoples's Struggle-Philippine Committee and BAYAN(Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or New Patriotic Alliance)fully support the call of the Equality Trade Union Migrants Branch and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, for the Non-Deportation and Legalization of Undocumented Migrant workers in Korea. The ILPS-Philippine Committee and BAYAN commend the ETU-MB and the KCTU in their protest action against the Korean government which has imposed a harsh policy against undocumented migrant workers by urging them to report to the authorities or register voluntarily so that they could be exempted from various penalties. The Equality Trade Union-Migrants Branch likewise believes that the "Voluntary Reporting" is a gross human rights violation by the Korean government against the migrant workers who were recruited ten years ago as cheap labor for the small-scale companies and the 3D's, irregardless if they were undocumented and illegal stayers!

We could not have agreed more to the analysis of the Equality Trade Union-Migrants Branch that such announcement and moratorium target the sharp rise of undocumented migrants, to cope with the expected rise in the number of "illegal" migrants during the World Cup and the Pusan Asian Games, but it does not at all address their real issue and demand. The more than 250,000 Filipino compatriots of ours who are now working as undocumented workers in Korea, and other parts of the world, are enduring more than twelve hours of back-breaking work, juggling several jobs in order to earn more for their families back home, but in the process, meeting accidents in the factory sites where they have been killed or lost some of their limbs.

We are gratified to note that the ETU-MB and the KCTU acknowledge the efficiency in labor skills and contributions of the Filipino and other migrant workers to the Korean economy, than the Korean government and multinational corporations which are only after superprofits sucked from the blood, sweat and tears of the Filipino and migrant workers. The deepening poverty and lack of jobs caused by the domination and control of foreign multinational companies and big landlords of the Philippine economy, is the principal reason why hundreds of thousands of our Filipino compatriots and relatives seek work abroad in spite of the separation from their families, the risks involved in their jobs in the host country, including grinding exploitation. On the other hand, the Korean, including the Philippine and all countries in the world are currently undergoing crisis due to the worsening effects of imperialist globalization as indicated by the downsizing of jobs and massive retrenchment of workers, privatization of government corporations and basic social services, flooding of imported products that compete with the local Korean products, and deregulation, to enable the multinational corporations to rake in superprofits and to continue with their monopolization activities. Thus, the Korean government's frantic actions to send back home the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers.

Let us be aware that these unjust and inhuman actions by the Korean government will further aggravate the explosive situation in Korea, with both the migrants and the Korean workers competing for the few remaining jobs in Korea. On the other hand, a grim situation awaits the migrant workers returning to the Philippines and elsewhere.

The ILPS-Philippine Committee and BAYAN urge the Equality Trade Union Migrants Branch and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to ceaselessly and with vigor continue their work of providing education not only on the rights of workers and other sectors, but also on bigger root causes of their problems that encompass all the peoples of the world; to militantly organize the largest number of workers and their communities; together with the migrant workers, go out in the streets by the hundreds of thousands in the parliaments and in all other fora where the workers' and other peoples' voices could be heard, listened to, and fully supported.

Let us link hands therefore to fight the onslaught of imperialist globalization which is the root cause of the current unprecedented crises now gripping not only the poor and underdeveloped countries in the Third World, but also in the rich countries in the First World. Let us unite for our common efforts to help the migrant workers and other marginalized sectors attain democracy, genuine economic development, progress and prosperity and peace.