[asia-apec 336] Korea General Strike News #17

[TACHIBANA Masahiko]

Recently several articles were sent to owner-asia-apec at jca.or.jp from
Asia Monitor Resource Center.  But it seems that these messages should
be sent to asia-apec at jca.or.jp

So I am going to forward those mails to the recipients of asia-apec ML.

TACHIBANA Masahiko, one of the owner-asia-apec

> Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 16:19:49 +0800 (HKT)
> X-Sender: amrc at is3.hk.super.net
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> To: owner-asia-apec at jca.or.jp
> From: =?EUC-KR?B?wMzH9Q==?= <antinet at member.sing-kr.org> (by way of AMRC <
>amrc at hk.super.net>)
> Subject: Korea General Strike News #17
>
>
> [Main Page] [Strike Urgent Report] [Sign Here] [Related Links]
>
> Struggle News Flash No. 17
> January 22, 1997
>
> Issued by the NCPD(National Committee for the Revocation of the
> Labor Law and NSPA Act Amendments and the Preservation of Democracy)
>
> Today's Headline News
>
> Strike Update : Meeting between the party leaders on the 21st. "Will
> talk it over in the National Assembly."
> President Kim, the National Congress for New Policies(NCNP)'s
> chairman Kim Dae Joong , the Unity of Liberal Democrats(ULD)'s
> chairman Kim
> Jong Pil and the N.K.P.'s leader Lee Heung Ku met at the Bluehouse
> on the afternoon and talked about various issues including the
> strike and the solution to the crisis on hand. Pres. Kim and each
> party's chairmans agreed that this crisis should be solved in the
> N.A. But Pres. Kim's request of discussion in the N.A. and the two
> opposition chairman's demand of discussion with the total
> nullification of the labor and national security laws as a
> precondition brought about a disagreement. As for the two opposition
> party leader's request Pres. Kim made clear that he will never allow
> the nullification to take place because it goes against the
> constitution. Pres. Kim also stated that he will order the person in
> charge to reprieve all arrest warrants connected with this strike.
>
> A Big Letdown
>
> The K.C.T.U. assessed today's meeting as a big failure. The K.C.T.U.
> stated that the meeting did not even get close to the solution to
> the strike crisis, was far from what the people expected or wanted
> and overall was a big letdown. It also announced that it will
> continue the strike until demands, 1)
> Nullification of labor law and NSPA Act with amendments to the
> previous labor laws before March 1st 2) Withdrawal of all
> suppression and punishments like suing for damages, mass firings and
> drop of all charges and indictments to not only the leaders of the
> K.C.T.U. but all 410 people who are wanted under the law, are met.
> Also the Federation of Korean Trade Unions announced that although
> the governments reprieve of all arrest warrants connected to the
> strike is well received, the meeting will not receive an approval
> from the laborers because it ended with just a vague promise
> of discussion in the National Assembly. Furthermore, the F.K.T.U.
> declared that it will continue to fight to nullify the labor law and
> achieve amendments of a new one that will fit with the international
> standards. It also said that it will reject any labor law amendments
> if it continues to be a pathetic political haggle between the
> parties with the labor and management being excluded.
> National Professor's Committee for the nullification of the labor
> and national security laws also mad comments about today's meeting.
> It pointed out that the president, who should take first
> responsibility for what has occurred and will occur, tried to put
> the responsibility on the shoulders of the National Assembly and
> eventually the opposition parties. It also stated that 'the mass
> lay-off', 'the flexible labor hours system', 'the contigent labor
>  during the strike' and 'the prohibition of full-time unionist being
> paid' clauses will deprive the K.C.T.U. of whatever power it has. As
> for the national security law, it pointed out that the N.K.Party
> will repass the bill after going through a procedure of discussion
> in the National Assembly and that the meeting was just an attempt to
> stabilize the bill. The N.P.C. made clear that they will continue
> their resistance on a national basis. Catholic Emergency Committee
> for the nullification of labor and national security laws also
> declared that it was disappointed because the meeting failed to
> reach a solution to this crisis and reconfirmed Pres. Kim's
> peremptory and self-righteous behaviors. It also claimed that the
> government will face the anger of the people if it tries to soothe
> the crisis by distorting the public opinion and by delaying.
> Regarding to the meeting the NCNP's treasurer Park Sang Chun
> announced that is will be hard to reach any kind of agreement
> without the N.K.Party's recognition of the nullification of the
> labor law and NSPA Act and the illegal procedure it took to pass the
> bills. The ULD also made comments and said that Pres. Kim's views
> towards this crisis and the solution is too far off from the
> opposition party's views and that the president has
> no sincerity whatsoever. He also stated that they will intensify
> their fight against the government and the N.K.Party to appeal to
> the people.
>
> The NCPD claims that the meeting was just a temporizing measure to
> distort the essence of the crisis.
>
> The NCPD announced that the reprieve of the arrest warrants was a
> just measure that was achieved by the strike. It also claimed that
> discussion about the amendments with the railroaded labor law and
> NSPA Act present is a temporizing measure to distort the essence of
> the crisis. The NCPD made
> clear that it will resist and fight along with the people until the
> nullification of these bills and a democratic amendment is achieved.
> *A march demanding the repeal of the labor and national security
> laws!
> 500 members of Buddhism, Catholic, Protestant, and Won-Bul Kyo(a
> branch of Buddhism) held a meeting on the afternoon of the 21st to
> repeal the labor law and NSPA Act at Cho-Gae temple in Chong-ro,
> Seoul. After the meeting they marched to Myung Dong Cathedral where
> the leaders of the K.C.T.U. are on strike.
> The participants of today's rally, with Kim Sung-Hun(a Catholic
> priest), Ji-Sun( a monk of Buddhism), Dr. No Young-Woo(Protestant),
> Jung Sung-Kil( a monk of Won-Bul Kyo) and many more religion leaders
> attending, claimed that the new national security laws must be
> repealed because it was passed to enable the N.K.Party. to seize
> permanent political power and discredit any individual or assembly
> that disturbs the N.K.P.'s plans. They also claimed that new labor
> laws should be in the direction of fully guaranteeing the laborers
> of their political, economical, and social rights and that the
>  methods the government took to put pressure on the leaders of the
> labor union, who led the strike, should be all withdrawn.
>  After the meeting the participants marched to the Myung Dong
> Cathedral. They held a closing mass and met and gave support to the
> leaders of the K.C.T.U. who are on strike in the cathedral.
>
> International Labor Leaders May Not Be Able To See Korea Again
>
> The Korean government cancelled Yisumi Takashi's, secretary general
> of Asian-Pacific region, International Federation of Free Trade
> Unions, visa to Korea. At the same time, John Evans, OECD secretary
> general of trade union advisory committee, and other members of
> international organizations will be regulated when they try to
> re-enter Korea. According to the Kimpo Embarkation and
> Disembarkation Office, the Korean government has cancelled Mr.
> Yisumi's multiple visa, which expires one year later, and sent
> official letters to Mr. Evans and other three members to apply for
> visa again if they want to re-enter.
> KCTU and FKTU both criticized the government for doing this. They
> pointed, "Because the government attempts to regulate international
> labor leaders who have come to make an international solidarity, the
> Korea's prestige is gone" so "Korea will remain as a mockery in the
> international labor1 arena."
>
> On 22, KCTU takes off the Wednesday Strike
> On 21's presidential summit with the opposition party leaders, they
> more or less opened up a possibility of revising the controversial
> labor laws. Nevertheless, many demands, including the complete
> nullification of labor law and NSPA Act, revision of labor laws
> before March 1, and renunciation to take legal actions on already
> sued 410 union leaders, have never met an agreement. The KCTU, thus,
> continued their planned Wednesday general strike on 22. "Wednesday
> general strikes" seem to be a count-down for the fourth stage
> general strike on February 18. On 22, they will have a rally at
>  2:00pm in the Chong-myo Park, Seoul, and promise to "fight until
> the complete nullification of the railroaded labor law and NSPA
> Act."
>
> On 22, the Korean Anglican Priests Have a Special Prayer Meeting
> On Wednesday, 22, the Anglican Church will have a special prayer
> meeting for the repeal of the railroaded NSPA Act and labor laws.
> The purpose of the meeting is to end the civilian dictatorship, just
> as they did to finish the military dictatorship in 1987.
>