[asia-apec 268] General Strike on December 13

[KCTU-International]

      KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS
-------------------------------------------------------

               Struggle for Labour Law Reforms
                      Campaign News XV
                        December 7, 1996


                             Strike!
                             Strike!
                         General Strike!


      Korean Confederation of Trade Unions will launch
       nation-wide general strike on December 13, 1996
    
    The 10th session of the Central Committee of the KCTU 
decided to call out all the members for a 4-hour general strike 
on December 13 if the government does not withdraw its 
regressive amendment bill until midnight December 12, 1996. 
    If the government, despite the December 13th general 
strike, pushes ahead with its amendment aimed at 
emasculating the trade union movement and radically 
undermining the employment security and working conditions of 
all working people, KCTU will embark on an indefinite 
nation-wide general strike from December 16, 1996. 
    The Central Committee called for the resignation of the 
entire cabinet headed by prime minister Lee Soo-sung. The 
Central Committee also decided to begin a concerted struggle 
calling for the dissolution of the conglomerate chaebols. The 
Central Committee resolved also to call on the Federation of 
Korean Trade Unions to bring the date of its scheduled general 
strike forward for a concerted coordinated struggle.

On the Strike Path

    Prior to the December 13th nation-wide general strike, 
2,000 leaders of the KCTU-member unions will converge in 
Seoul on December 9 for an overnight protest meeting. On 
December 11, the 929 KCTU unions will hold lunch-time 
general meeting, while on December 12, the officers of local 
unions will hold regional meetings to call on the various 
political parties to end the government and chaebol's attack on 
the trade union movement and the working people. Following 
the 4-hour general strike on December 13, KCTU unionists will 
join with other people's organisations to take part in a 
nation-wide rally calling for a democratic and genuine reform of 
the labour law. The rally will take place in some 20 major 
urban centres throughout the country. 

Strike for Genuine Reform

    The Central Committee reaffirmed that the repeal of the 
prohibition on the union plurality and the ban on the 
unionisation of teachers and government employees as the 
basic criterion of a genuine reform of the labour law. The 
Central Committee attended by all of 95 members decided to 
reject the government proposal for amendment which will have 
the effect of downgrading the basic working conditions and the 
basic trade union rights.
    The Central Committee called on the government to 
withdraw its proposal for "labour law regress" and to prepare 
an entirely new amendment which complies with the general 
orientation of democratic reform and the international labour 
standards identified by the ILO and the OECD.
    The Central Committee identified that the government 
proposal for "labour law regress" was a part of the overall 
retreat in democratic reform which includes the plan to 
strengthen the repressive instruments of the National Security 
Planning Agency Act, the Law on Assembly and Demonstration, 
the Election Act, and the plan to introduce a law on 
broadcasting aimed at strengthening government and chaebol's 
control. The Central Committee also criticised the recent 
announcement to freeze the price of government purchase of 
rice which would drive the farmers into even greater hardship . 
The Central Committee, therefore, called for the resignation of 
the present cabinet headed by Lee Soo-sung responsible for 
suppression of democracy and general well-being of the 
working people.

Targeting the Chaebols

    The Central Committee, then, made a special resolution to 
mount a concerted struggle for the dissolution of 
chaebols-centred system of economy. The special resolution 
was made in response to the "urgent call" to the government 
made by the head of Federation of Korean Industries -- the 
umbrella organisation of the chaebols -- for a "five-year wage 
freeze", continued ban on union plurality, and even further 
worsening of the basic labour standards. The Central 
Committee denounced the chaebols, who in their quest for 
absolute control of the economy, were responsible for strangling 
the economy and the well-being of the working people. The 
chaebols were the primary culprit, through their unrepenting 
graft and corruption, speculative profiteering through property 
speculation, deepening of dependency in technology and 
essential parts, and snowballing of luxury imports, for the 
current economic woes. The Central Committee, therefore, 
resolved to work in solidarity with all people's organisations in 
the struggle to bring about the dissolution of dinosaur chaebols.

The Confrontation

    The Central Committee noted that the major security-hawk 
authorities within the government, the Public Prosecutors Office, 
the Ministry of Labour, the Federation of Korean Industries, and 
the Korean Employers Federation have stepped their 
preparation to arrest and imprison key KCTU leaders and file 
criminal and damage suits against union leaders who 
participate in the general strike. KCTU denounced their plan as 
blatant repression of the just efforts by workers to defend their 
basic labour union rights and working conditions. The Central 
Committee vowed to repel the repressive design of the 
dinosaur chaebols and the pro-chaebol elements and the 
security-hawks in the government who aim to consolidate their 
domination by emasculating the trade union movement and 
lead the general strike to victory.