[asia-apec 337] Korea General Strike #19

[TACHIBANA Masahiko]

Forwarded mail follows

TACHIBANA Masahiko

> Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 16:20:20 +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 #19
>
>
> --------------------------------
> Struggle Flash No.19 January, 24
> ---------------------------------
>
>
> C
> 。Today's Headline News。
> Issued by the NCPD(National Committee for the Revocation of the
> Labor Law and NSPA Act Amendments and the Preservation of Democracy)
>
> Strike Report
> 。　The KCTU moves the place of protest from Myung Dong Cathedral to
> its offices.
> The leaders of the KCTU who are protesting inside the Myung Dong
> Cathedral decided to move out to the offices of the KCTU. At a
> conference held on the 23rd with regional leaders on hand the KCTU
> decided to move the protest to its offices. More detail and the
> reasons for the transfer will be released at a press conference in
> front of Myung Dong Cathedral on the 24th. It has been made known
> that the Cathedral's strong demand for the evacuation because there
> is no more need for shelter has brought about this decision.
>
> 。　Protestant workers rally for nullification of the laws, the
> dissolution of the Agency for National Security and Planning (ANSP)
> and the resignation of President Kim.
>
> "My lord may you establish justice on this earth!"
> With the anger of religious groups over the wrongly passed labor and
> national security laws getting stronger, 1000 religious workers,
> priests and followers met at Hyang Lin Church and held a rally for
> the nullification of these bills.
> In the rally that was held on the 23rd at 2pm, the participants
> pledged that the ANSP can never be allowed to repeat the
> antidemocratic crimes it has committed over the years
> with its absolute powers. They remember the history of many
> religious workers, religious leaders and the conscientious whose
> human rights were violated by illegal arrests, extortions and frame
> ups executed by the ANSP and its overuse of anti-communism
> investigation rights.
> They also claimed that the new labor law is inhumane because it
> classifies human beings as just a tool used to increase production.
> They pledged to fight to the end until the nullification of these
> two laws is achieved.
> After the mass, with a cross held in front of the protesters, the
> participants marched through Myung Dong Cathedral and arrived at Top
> Gol Park. At the park they held a closing prayer. There was a heavy
> scuffle with the police during the march. The participants cried for
> the nullification of the laws, the dissolution of the ANSP and the
> resignation of President Kim.
>
> 。　The OECD committee rules that Korean labor laws do not meet the
> promises that the Korean government had made in regards to freedom
> of association and group negotiations.
>
> On the 23rd (Korean time 11o'clock on the 24th) the OECD committee,
> with its ELSA report as the basis, reported its opinion about
> Korea's labor law. The ELSA reported to the committee that the
> Korean labor law does not meet the promise the government had
> made in regards to the freedom of association and group
> negotiations. The ELSA also recommended that the Korean government
> reopen talks with the parties concerned to fully guarantee the
> freedom of association and group negotiations. The OECD's chairman
> of affairs welcomed the Korean government's gesture of suspending
> the execution of the arrest warrants and reexamining the labor law
> for amendments and asked for the ELSA to monitor the process of the
> labor law amendments.
> Although the report was unsatisfactory it still pointed out that the
> Korean government was not keeping the promise it has previously
> made. Also although it welcomed some measures derived from the
> presidential summit with the opposition party leaders, it still
> said the ELSA will monitor the process of the amendments.
> The OECD is keeping most of its focus on issues of labour-management
> relations like giving public servants and teachers the right to form
> unions, the ban on multiple uions, and the ban on third party
> intervention. This will act as some kind of pressure on the
> Korean government while it works on the amendments.
>
> 。　Korean activists in Japan are also working to support the strike
> and protect democracy
> Korean-Japanese (Koreans living in Japan) democratic movement
> organisations have worked collectively to protest and support the
> strike in various ways ever since the labor and national security
> law got passed in Korea. On the 19th, with rallies held
> simultaneously in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo working as
> the driving force, a committee to protect democracy and repeal the
> two law was formed to intensify its efforts.
> The committee consists of 6 groups. This committee held a street
> march on the 10th and the 19th in several major cities in Japan. It
> is also currently sending support faxes to the KCTU and protest
> faxes to President Kim. It is also planning to hold a emergency
> meeting to support the KCTU's all-out strike and protest to
> President Kim in accordance to his visit to Japan on the 24th. It
> has already made plans to protest in front of the Korean embassy on
> the 25th.
>
> 。　The secretary of labor, Jin Nyum is on a regional tour.
> Jin Nyum, who has ignored labor's protest for nullification of the
> laws and democratic amendments, is on a regional tour to explain how
> helpful the wrongly passed bills are to the country. On his first
> stop at Inchun's Anam mechanical facilities and Daewoo automobile
> labor union he received strong protests from the union leaders. In
> Anam the workers declined an interview so he met only the
> supervisors. As for the Daewoo automobile labor union he tried to
> enter the union offices despite labor's wishes and received only
> heavy protests from the union leaders.
> At 7o'clock in front of Inchun's Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
> where a morning meeting between Jin Nyum and Commerce and Industry
> officials was taking place, 40 union members gathered to protest.
> There was a light scuffle with the police who tried to stop the
> protest.
>