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.