People's Victory 21

Newsletter 6

Tel : 701-9088
Fax : 701-9087
e-mail : vic21@hitel.net

Campaign for sweeping of the unfaithful construction

The campaign for sweeping of the unfaithful constructhion was held by People's Victory 21, KCTU and National Confederation of the Construction Trade Unions on Kangnam subway station in Seoul. Since 1993, among the large scale contructions ordered by the authority of Seoul city, the construction at low price awarded at below 70% of the awarding price in the process of open bid have been 12 case. According to the data submitted for the inspection of the administration, in the construction of the large scale infrastructure, many unfaithful designs and constructions have been disclosed. Participants argued to citizens that the absurdity of construction caused by link between politics and ecomomy must be sweeped, the over possession of the constrution companies by the conglomerate must be regulated and the injustice of the bid should be restricted. These are urgent tasks.

The Prosecution summoned the leaders of the KCTU and NADUK for the suspicion of the violation of the election law.

The procecution is repressing politically the progressive movements groups including the KCTU misapplying the election law. On 14 Nov. ' Responding Meeting for 15th Presidential Election of the Prosecution' announced the document titled "strict punishment of illegal election campaign by groups including ΗΡΓΡ·Γ and KCTU'. It treated National Workers' Congress by the KCTU as illicit campaign. On 17 Nov. they isseud the written sommons of 4 persons including Lee Changbok, the permanent president of NADUK. People's Victory 21 represented powerful protest, criticizing that though the prosecution has overlooked the unjust political money of president Kim, the ruling party and the opposition, especially they inspected promptly about progressive movements. People's Victory 21 criticized that the prosecution's action failed to fit the equity.

Candidate Kwon, " Making Enforcement ordinance of 'UR Special Law'" '97 Natoional Peasents's Congress for the security of the price of the agricultural products and the solution of farming families' debt' was held in Youido on 17 Nov. Candidate Kwon Younggil participating in this ceremony spoke on People's Victory 21's agricultural public pledge. In speech, he critiscized the agricultural polices of Kim's regime, killing peasants policies and announced that he will make "enforcement ordinance of 'UR special law'" for the protection of the domestic agriculture answering perfect opening of agricultural and marine products. And also he promise to arrange the institution related to food quarantining, to consolidate the protection law of the consumers and the regulation as to the environment, and to prepare the negotiation of WTO on agricultural products. In the congress, one of the most important issue was farmer's families' debt. Candidate Kwon said that with selectively remitting of the debt caused by the failure of the agricultural policies, lowering of the interests rate of laon and extending of the repayment, he will solve the debt problemsl.

YM CHANG RYUL, new economic team in korea must start from dismantling the high - interest structure! - Dismantling the high-interest structure is structural resolution for Korean economic crisis

Kwon Young Kil who is a president of Koreal Confederation of Trade Unions & also a presidential candadate of People's Victory21, took part in founding ceremony of BuChon's branch, in Buchon citizen's building in the 19th Nov. At that day, he mentioned, "I doubt whether YM Chang Ryul's New economic team can propose the concrete & effective policies for solving Korean economic crisis", concerning management of Kang Kyung Sik's letter of resignation. Kwon Young Kil pointed out that new economic team must recognize high-interest structure of our society to be a main reason of today's economic crisis. He also argued that high-interest structure boyond business benefit's rate caused the red - management of monopolized company, and high-interest structure was main reason of Korean whole economic crisis such as continuous Dishonoring of big company, financial insecurity, a slump in stocks and a sudden rise of exchange rate. And he said, "Dismantling of the high-interest structure is fundamental resolution for not only mollifying the companies' difficulty of money but also sustainable development of real economy, recovery of foreign credit, solving the crisis of exchange rate." So, he proposed that it was necessary to cut down the highest legal rate of interest in Interest-limitation Law by 20% from 25% as a special solution for dismantling high-interest structure. And he argued that Kim young sam president should publish a urgent financial-econmic order for dismantling high-interst structure because he was responsible for today's economic crisis very much.

Speakers' department of People's Victory 21 has asked openly to the cadidate of Lee In Je the followings concerning his comment of IMF's relief funds.

1. Depending on IMF's relief funds means giving up economic sovereignty. Does Lee In Je think that it is no problem to give up future economic sovereignty for short-term's effiency? 2. If we received IMF's relief funds, we had obligations according to compulsory articles such as ( ), policy of liberalization, reduction of government's role. Does Lee In Je know the confusion happening at that time concretely? 3. Even if we can put out the urgent fire(crisis) due to IMF's relief funds, because of it Korean's foreign credit may be reduced and it may be impossible to reconstruct our economy for long time in the future. the 19th Nov. 1997

Struggle News

Police broke into Hanyang University Hospital, took union members who had been on strike

Police 500 invaded Hanyang University Hospital where trade unions had been on strike requiring 'the implementation of the agreement on the reappointment of the dismissed' since 12 Nov at am 9 : 50 on 19 Nov. Union members being on strike were taken to police station and union and confederation of hospital trade unions repelled undue containment. Sungdong police station arrested the incumbent and ex staffs of the union for the hinderance of the operation and the slander. Lee Yunha, incumbent chiarman who after hunger strike for 15 days had been in hospital and had went to Junsoo for medical treatment was arrested that day, and was taken to police station. Among taken people 3 persons except for chairman Lee began hunger strike in Sungdong police station requiring the public apology on undue containment and the release of members Also that day, the majority of members was injured when they were taken, Cha Sooryun, a member of leadership was taken in emergency room. Union and Confederation of Hospital trade unions required police to apologize and punish the responsible. Uuion announced the struggle for powerful protest criticizing that though the warrant was issued to only 5 persons, police 500 were mobilized and all members were arrested with out discrimination. They said that this was obviously undue containment and they would struggle for protest including accusation of the chief of Sungdong police station. Confederation of Hospital Trade Unions, KCTU and NADUK announced the declaration, impeached undue action of police and urged police to release taken members.

Central Labor Committee's decision that workplace - union's strike is illegal at general strike's time

Central Labor Committee made a dicision that workplace-union's strike according to KCTU's guide at general strike's time in this winter, was not considered as a suitable union's action. Central Labor Committee made a decision on a claim of three persons of trade union including president that even if improper labor conduct was admitted, firing them was legal. Central Labor Committee argued that diciplinary punishment on applicants was resonable, because firing them was not responsible for trade union's action. But Central Labor Committee's decision like this is being blamed because it is anti-historical & more friendly with owners. In spite of wide consensus that general strike was right in terms of defending constitution, Central Labor Committee defined it as a illegal & wrong conduct and then admitted owners' arguments one-sidedly. In letter of agreement between labor & company on general strike, the followings were written down, that hospital was responsible for suppressing trade union only because of participating their strike. But Central Labor Committee only admitted owner's argument that the agreement was not official but individual. Even though the agrement was made between trade union and president of hospital, president didn't signed on it because of his going out. So he who was in charge of finance signed instead of president. It is a custom in Korea. But Central Labor Committee didn't admitted it.