[asia-apec 299] Strike Urgent Report #9

[amc]

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>X-Sender: misun at is1.hk.super.net
>Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 02:34:29 +0800
>To: amc at HK.Super.NET
>From: misun <misun at HK.Super.NET>
>Subject: Strike Urgent Report #9
>
> Strike Urgent Report #9 
>                            - edited on January. 10, 1997, at 01:00 
>                      Seventh day of the general strike in THE SECOND WAVE 
>
>The General Strike in Fevered Spirit!
>     The Korean  Confederation  of Trade  Unions(KCTU)  had it  that  a
>total  of  212,196 
>workers from 
>     176 unions affiliated to KCTU went on strike as of 3 p.m., January 7.
>     With the Federation  of Hyundai  Group Trade  Unions, The  Federation
>of Automobile 
>Workers 
>     Unions and the Korean Federation of Metal  Workers Unions continuing
>the strike since 
>last 
>     December 26,  the  unions of  manufacturing  industry and   the Korean
>Federation   of 
>Professional 
>     and Technicians Unions participating in, the Clerical Workers  and
>Construction Workers 
>on 6th, 
>     lining up with, and the  unions of the 4  major broadcating companies
>and  the national 
>coalitio of 
>     medical insurance unions rushing into it on 7th, the General Strike is
>in fevered spirit.
>     And the   Clerical Workers   Unions, the   Korean Council   of Hospital
>Unions, and 
>Construction 
>     Workers Unions are scheduled to expand the strike struggle  in full
>breadth making day 
>10th a 
>     starting point, and  for it,  member unions  are resolving  strike by
>means of  genenal 
>meetings.
>     On January 7, the KCTU held a  mass rally with over 5,000 attendance
>including  union 
>members, 
>     students and a lot of citizens, and  called for the nullification of
>the new  labor law and 
>the 
>     National Security Planning  Agency Act. The  attendance demanded
>through  a struggle 
>resolution 
>     that "not nullifying the evil laws, the government intend to take legal
>steps to arrest the 
>KCTU 
>     leaders," and made clear that "we'll fight by means of the General
>Strike struggle to the 
>day the 
>     laws are nullified"
>     After that rally, the  participants did publicity  campaign with
>distributing  pamphlets to 
>citizens 
>     across the city.
>Chungwadae got angry, urged the swift, strong coutermeasure!
>     Immediaely afer  the  New Year  press  conference of  President  Kim,
>Young-sam  at 
>Chungwadae 
>     (the Blue house) on January 7, the KCTU had a press conference and made
>clear that if 
>the 
>     government doen not retract the revised Labor law, it will face strikes
>in public sectors 
>including 
>     the subways and  the communications. Kwon  Young-gil, Chairman of  the
>KCTU said 
>that "unless 
>     the government repeals the new  labor law by midnight Tuesday,  we will
>stage at the 
>strongest 
>     ever strikes."
>     That afternoon, a joint statement, Ministers of  Justice, Home Affairs
>and Labor Affairs 
>requested 
>     striking workers to stop the workouts, adding  that if the 'illegal'
>strikes continue, they 
>will 
>     immediately take   resolute action   for the  purpose  of  keeping
>peace  industry  and 
>protecting legal 
>     order.
>     The prosecution, which had threatened to  arrest Kwon and other union
>leaders, backed 
>down and 
>     delayed the action judging that the nationwide strikes seemed to have
>simmered down.
>     But, this moderate policy which  the 3 related minister  and
>prosecution on 8th,  doesn't 
>last long. 
>     On the same  day, Chungwadae  put it  that the  strike should stop
>with immediately. 
>Chungwadae 
>     got angry  at the  decision of  expanding the  General Strike  though
>it  requested the 
>concession of 
>     labor and management both. This thought seemed to send to the prosecution.
>     Right after the prosecution  heard this view of  Chungwadae, they
>decided to  issue the 
>arrets 
>     warrants on 9th. so the day 9 seems to  be a turning point. the KCTU
>confirmed again 
>the 
>     public sectors unions will workout on 15th, when the government appeal
>to police power 
>and the 
>     government decided  on its  hard policy  issue  the warrants  for
>arresting  the KCTU 
>leaders.
>62 professors of law studies demanded the nullification of labor laws!
>     On January 8, 62 professors of 36 universities all around the  country
>who major in law 
>studies, 
>     urged that the government nullify the newly-amended  labor laws and
>National Security 
>Planning 
>     Agency Act passed without  regard to legal  procedure, and withdraw the
>plan to take 
>legal action 
>     against the strike workers.
>     Insisting that   the illeagal  passage  of December   26, violated  the
>Act of   National 
>Assembly, they 
>     said that "the new laws were lacking in the smallest legitimacy as  a
>law, in addtion to 
>the 
>     defect of   procedure. They  pointed out   that "the  workers'
>exercising   the right  of 
>collective action 
>     against deterioration   of working   conditions had  a  good  reason,
>according   to the 
>Constitution and 
>     international  labor   custom".  This   is not   also   opposed  to
>International   Labor 
>Organization(ILO)'s 
>     principle that the strike protesting  against the government social
>and economic policies 
>is not 
>     subjected to a criminal prosecution."
>     They argued that the government  take back a legal  action plan against
>the leaders  of 
>the strikes 
>     and try to make an amicable and peaceful settlement on this situation.
>
>
>     Published by the Telecommunication Taskgroup for General Strike (TTGS)
>     Distributed through Online BBS Service and Internet twice a day
>     Phone : +82-2-855-1913
>     E-mail : rys at member.sing-kr.org
>     Homepage : http://kpd.sing-kr.org/strike 
>                                     
>
>