[asia-apec 363] FWD: The Final Round -- 4th Wave General Strike

[TACHIBANA Masahiko]

Following is the article originally sent from KCTU-International
to DAGA, which has been failed when reposted to asia-apec.

TACHIBANA Masahiko,  one of the owner-asia-apec at mail.jca.or.jp

          *          *          *          *          *

> To: asia-apec at jca.or.jp
> From: "KCTU-International" <kctuint at chollian.dacom.co.kr>
  (by way of daga <daga at hk.super.net>)
> Subject: The Final Round -- 4th Wave General Strike


     KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS
---------------------------------------------------------
             Struggle for Labour Law Reforms
                   Campaign News XXIII
                     February 25, 1997



                      The Final Round

                Recognise the Teachers' Union
               Stop Mass Redundancy Dismissal
          Lift the Ban on Paid Full-time Union Officers
                End Trade Union Repression


               Strike Action to Resume on February 26

The Central Committee of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions,
on February 25, 1997, resolved to embark on the fourth wave of the general
strike to bring the nation-wide mass action that began the day after
Christmas last year to a successful conclusion.  The Korean Confederation
of Trade Unions will resume strike action on December 26 to culminate in
an all out strike of all the members on February 28. The decision came as
the political parties, both the ruling party and opposition parties,
continue to
vacillate over the key issues of the labour law.

The National Assembly, reopened for an extraordinary session on
February 17, 1997, began the proceedings for the re-amendment of the
railroaded labour laws to be completed by the end of February before the
December 26 version comes into effect.  It follows the retreat by the Kim
Young Sam government, which on January 21, 1997, conceded, in the face
of a month-long general strike, to a rewrite of the much-denounced labour
laws.


The Ten Point Demand

The Central Committee decision came after the February 22
announcement of 10 core demands for labour law amendment.  Following
a meeting of the expanded executive committee, president Kwon Young-kil
proclaimed that the KCTU was prepared to accept a moratorium on legal
recognition if the following 10 demands were met in the labour laws
amendment:

  * guarantee of the freedom of association for teachers and
    government employees
  * the annulment of the ban on payment of wage for full-time union
    officers at company level
  * the restoration of union membership eligibility for dismissed
    workers (until the decision of the Supreme Court)
  * the complete repeal of the prohibition on third party intervention
  * the reinstitution of the ban on replacement of striking workers from
    out side the plant under dispute
  * the revocation of the ban on remuneration for the period of strike
  * the cancellation of the ban on industrial action within production
    facilities
  * the narrowing of the scope of 'essential services' which is subject
    to compulsory arbitration
  * the withdrawal of the legal provisions for mass redundancy
    dismissal
  * limitation of the variable working hours system to full work day for
    alternate Saturdays

The decision signifies a delay in the legal recognition for the KCTU the
nerve-end of decade-long campaign for labour law reform and the subject of
the ardent desire of the democratic trade union movement.

The KCTU decision is based on two reasons.  The dramatic turn around
was aimed at pressuring the political parties to make an earnest
commitment to the removal of the pernicious provisions in the December 26
labour laws which would straight-jacket trade union activities and negate
the
effect and power of collective industrial action.  The surprise decision
also
reflects the KCTU's commitment to win a legal recognition for the Korean
Teachers and Educational Workers Union (Chunkyojo, KTU), a historic
partner in the birth and development of the democratic trade union
movement.

The KCTU decision is targeted at the unwillingness of the government
and political parties in the National Assembly to engage in a serious and
sincere effort to guarantee trade union rights.  The Kim Young Sam
government and the political parties, while compelled by the force of the
general strike to make a commitment for re-amendment, remain cowered by
the fear of straying out of the favour of the big business groups.
Furthermore, they remain uncommitted to the principle of freedom of
association for teachers and government employees from the fear of
running against the powerful private school owners lobby and bureaucracy.
Their attitude, in a more long term perspective, also reflects their
concern
over the potential development of the trade union movement as a potent
political force which could challenge their monopoly on political and
policy
affairs.


The Political Procrastination

The National Assembly proceedings for the re-write of the labour laws
began with two public hearings by the Standing Committee on Environment
and Labour.

President Kwon Young-kil appearing before the first public hearing, on
February 19, dealing with general trade union rights issues, (attended by
the
representatives of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions,
Education International, and Public Services International) highlighted the

freedom of association for teachers and government employees as the
central demand.  He also presented documentation on paid full-time union
officers/representatives at company levels and remuneration during the
strike period in the OECD member countries to counter the Korean
government's argument that such practices are unique to Korea.

The ruling party remained silent during the initial period of the National
Assembly proceedings.  It maintained that the December 26 action
represented its best effort and it was up to the opposition parties to
bring
forward proposals for change for negotiation.  The ruling party's attitude
forced the opposition parties under an unenviable spot light.

In response, the two major opposition parties   the National Congress
for New Politics led by Kim Dae Jung and the United Liberal Democrats led
by Kim Jong Pil   on February 24 finally produced a single set of proposals

for change in the labour laws.

The opposition agenda proposes, on the one hand, to lift the ban on
union pluralism at the federation and national centre level immediately
while
maintaining the moratorium on the enterprise level.  On the other hand,
they remain silent on the issue of unionisation for teachers and government

employees.

On the redundancy dismissal -- layoff   issue, the two opposition
political parties proposed to introduce a new law to regulate mass
dismissals
for managerial reasons.  Their proposed arrangement reflects their wish to
appease the powerful big business groups while not ignoring the anger and
resistance of the working people.

While the opposition parties have produced a set of proposals which
appear to approximate the trade union demands, they have failed to allay
the wide-spread suspicion that they are only going through the motions
without the commitment to uphold internationally recognised standards and
fight off the ruling party's intransigence.  Their efforts, it is
interpreted, are
aimed at coming out of the current labour law conjuncture unscathed.
They hope to achieve this goal, it is said, by putting up, on the one hand,
an
appearance of representing the aspiration of the working people, and by, on

the other hand, appeasing the powerful business groups in substance by not
putting up an earnest fight to defend their pronounced positions.


The General Strike:
the aspiration and struggle of the working people

The Central Committee decision to embark on the fourth wave of
general strike comes at a time when the fate of the labour law remains in
balance.

The Central Committee streamlined the KCTU demands to sharpen the
focus of the general strike.  It called for:

  * a legal recognition for the teachers union
  * a complete withdrawal of the legislative provisions for layoff
  * the revocation of the ban on payment of wage to full-time union
    officers/representatives at the company level, and
  * an end to the reprisals against unionists for their just actions of
    resistance against the repressive labour laws.

The fourth wave general strike will begin on February 26 by a mass
protest rally in Seoul by union shopstewards in front of the ruling party
office.
The rallyists will, then, join the hundreds of teachers conducting a sit-in

protest at the offices of the two opposition parties.  On the second day,
February 27, the strike action will escalate to a strike involving all of
the
shopstewards at company level, to be followed by mass protest rallies at
the
major urban centres throughout the country.  The fourth general strike will

culminate on February 28 with a full general strike bringing all KCTU
members out to streets.  The Central Committee has not decided on the
length of the full general strike, leaving it to be determined in
accordance
with the changing situation.

The fourth wave general strike, taking place at the critical moment in the
parliamentary proceedings, will demonstrate the determination of the
working people not to leave their destiny in the hands of short-sighted
politicians but to win their rights and welfare through struggle.