[asia-apec 915] Korea conference Prgraam and info

[PSPD]

International Conference on the Social Responsibility of Korean
Companies Abroad: Human Righrs, Labor and the Environment

Since 1995, Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS) - a
independent center of
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPI) has been
monitoring the actions of
Korean companies abroad that have violated labor and human rights.

Every year KHIS has written letters of appeal to companies, conducted
field research - fact
finding - in China, Vietnam and Indonesia, and organized seminars and
street campaigns to
raise public awareness of corporate violations.

Recently, KHIS began organizing a street campaign every weekend to
promote writing protest
postcards as well as collecting small funds for workers who have been
illegally dismissed
since the summer of 1998. Many students and young people in particular
are interested in and
support this campaign. This is because name brands such as Nike, Reebok
and Adidas are
popular with this demographic group, and because these companies tend to
violate the labor
rights of youth, children and women (Violations include low-wages and
unsafe working
conditions, among others).
Many of these name brand companies subcontract to Korean companies from
Indonesia,
China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Central America.

KHIS has organised an international conference every two years on the
independent
monitoring of Korean companies abroad.
This year's conference will be held on December 12-13 at Sokang
University in Seoul, Korea.
Various social organizations are scheduled to participate including
trade unions, labour and
human rights groups and different social interest groups including those
concerned with the
rights of women, citizens, youth and consumers.
During the conference, host organizations will address NGOs codes of
conduct against
companies codes of conduct and action program in the each area like
woman, labour union,
environmental group, youth group and independent monitoring system.
Also we will invite workers from shoe and clothing companies who worked
from TNCs like
Nike and Carfu and Sony.

An important part of this conference is the Cultural Event and
Solidarity program with Asian
trainees who work in Korean companies abroad. It is an opportunity for
conference
participants to share their experiences, culture, food, etc. The event
will also be a space to
discuss building a network to monitor Korean companies abroad in the
Asian region.

Attached is a conference program and a PSPD brochure.




sincerely yours
Chief  Coordinator of KHIS in PSPD
Serapina Cha, Mi-kyung
1. Conference Goals
▶ Evaluate the monitoring of Korean companies abroad and discussion of
how to raise the
social responsibilities of companies
▶ Create a declaration and campaign for fair trade and human rights
companies
▶ Prepare a domestic network for human rights and green consumerism
▶ Publicize ways to conduct education for youth
▶ Create a network of southeast and east Asian laborers working in
Korean companies
abroad
▶ Develop codes of conduct and independent monitoring

2. Program
Schedule

December 12(Sat.) :
9:30 : Opening ceremony
10:00- 11:10 : Presentation of 98' Field Research Reports(in Vietnam,
China, and Indonesia)
              - 20min. per each
              Chairperson  : Shin, Yoon-Hwan
              Debaters : 3 field researchers and representative from
Labour Dept and .
                         companies
11:10- 11:30 : Presentation of an Indonesian participant (a labor in a
Korean company)
11:30- 11:50 : Showing a video (the record of interviews or
investigation into Nike or Korean clothing
companies in Central and Latin America )
11:55- 12:50 : Discussion and general review
1:00- 2:00 : Lunch
2:00- 2:40 : Presentation of case study of foreign firms(or TNCs)
            1) Carufu Korea 2) Sony Korea 3) City Back in Korea
2:40- 3:00 : Presentation of monitoring activities to foreign firms(or
TNCs) in Japan
3:00- 3:20 : Break
3:20- 4:20 : Direction and correspondence to labor-management disputes
in foreign firms(or TNCs)
           Chairman : Cha, Mi-Kyung or Kang Soo- dol
           Debaters :  Daewoo Association of Trade Unions, Hyundai
Association of Trade Unions,
          Federation of Commercial Trade Unions in Korea. FIET.

4:30 - 5:30 Report on proceeding with adoption of companies codes of
conduc
            Chairman : Not yet confrimed
            Debaters : PSPD, FKTU , TNCs Japan, Korea Women Life
Association.

December 13(Sun.)
9:00 Briefing session
9:30- 9:50 :  Presentation of case study - the actual condition of
women's rights at Nike and
multinational shoe companies
9:50- 10:20 : Presentation of case study abroad - a representative of
Clean Clothes Campaign in
Holland for women's labor rights at subcontracted shoe·clothing
companies of
multinational brand names
10:30-11:15 : Public campaign to promote the responsibility of companies
- focusing on women's,
consumers', youth's and children's rights
            Chairman : Lee, Jung-Ock
            Debaters ;  representative from the youth, women gourps,
KHIS, Pusan Huma rights
Center  and CCC.

1:15- 11:50 : Presentation of counter plan and case study of
environmental and vital problems caused
by foreign investment of companies in Malaysia and Indonesia
12:00- 1:00 : Lunch
1:10- 1:40 : Environmental problems related to shipbreaking industries
in Sebu island, in Philippines
(Showing slides and presentation of case study)
1:45-2:30 : Regulations of environment and monitoring companies
           Chairman : Dr. Jung soo-bok
           Debaters : KEFM, Green Korea, LifeNet,  Environment Committee
in the govt,
Environmental lawyer in Philippines
2:30-3:30 : Evaluation - announcement of standpoints of monitoring
companies for the realization
of companies codes of conduct, and active plans for future
          Chairman :  Dr Chae Soo-il (Director of KHIS)
          Labor :  Daewoo Assoication of Trade Unions and  Hyundai
Assolication of Trade Unions.
- internal and external solidarity proposing companies codes of conduct
          Women :  Korean Women' life , Christian Women Committee,
Maters Network in PSPD
- women's·children's rights
          Environment·life ; standpoint of continuously possible
development and the  preservation
of environment and life
          Youth : establishing standpoints for prohibition from stealing
youth labor forces and
protection of youth's rights
          Human right : PSPD and groups related to the human right -
declaration of internal
and external solidarity to protect  both  human right and labor right
against the
Globalization
4:00- 6:00 : Cultural Night with foreign trainee of the Asian investment
regions, staying in Korea
Opening ceremony- Cultral groups from PSPD and  Singers form KEFM.
Speech for solidarity
Speeches for solidarity of 3 countries(Philippines, China, Indonesia)
and presentation of a labor about
lifes in Korea
Showing fairs(?) of participants from each country
Recitation of proclamation of solidarity
6:00- 8:00 : reception



KHIS Tel : 822-723-4255
      Fex : 822-723-5055
      e-mail: pspd at soback.kornet.nm.kr

cc: Host organization of conference will be consisted by about 15 groups
from civic, human
rights, trade union, women, environmental  groups, youth and consumer
groups.