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PICIS
Policy and Information Center for International Solidarity
Newsletter - Number 5
Monday, 16 February 1998
Edited by Anna
Editor's notice
PICIS was established for joining in the international solidarity movement against neoliberalistic attacks by the transnational capital worldwide, as well as for launching practical international solidarity movement among South Korean progressive forces. We aim at not only sharing policies and information with foreign progressive organisations but also making practical supporting movement with workers' and peoples' struggles, who are suppressed and exploited. This newsletter contains Korean progressive forces' activities, and through this newsletter we want to contact and make solidarity with foreign activists and make practical activity with all of you.
Website : http://kpd.sing-kr.org/~picis
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Address : PICIS, 1578-3, Woosung Bdg. 5F, Shilim1Dong, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul, Korea
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the word 'subscribe picis' as the only text in the message)
SPECIAL!!
STRIKE ABORTED
Statement from 2nd meeting of Emergency Committee of KCTU and future plan of KCTU
1. The resolution of the delegates congress held on Feb. 9, for example opposition of the legalisation of layoffs, is valid even now. KCTU cannot absolutely agree with the legalisation of layoffs to deprive the worker of the right to live.2. KCTU withdraws the general strike scheduled to go on Feb. 13, and will unfold more powerful and prepared struggle afterward for the fundamental reform of the chaebol system, employment security and the conquest of the people's right to live.
3. Nevertheless, if the bill on layoffs and the worker dispatch system be passed on this session, we will conclude it as one-sided conduct and unfold the strong struggle for its abolition jointly with various democratic body. 4. The hereafter measures will be discussed at the central committee at 4 pm Feb. 13.
Central committee, which was held Feb. 13, approved this resolution. Some of the committee said, 'Though strike was withdrawn, we should fight as strongly as possible' and proposed sit-in in NCNP(National Conference for New Politics). But the majority thought 'if we protest strongly, public opinion, including that of rank and file unionists, will be confused' and decided to send protest message to NCNP. KCTU will hold regular delegate conference as fixed previously, but agenda such as plan for collective bargaining and workplan for this year is entrusted to emergency committee. And the KCTU election, which was postponed infinitely, will be held after Feb. 26, restoring leadership.
Choi Dae-lim, worker of Daewoo Heavy Industries, burn himself to death
A shipyard worker killed himself by fire demanding KCTU-wide struggle. According to the union, he jumped off a ship after setting himself ablaze at a Daewoo Heavy Industries. Fellow workers saw that and carried him to hospital, but he died already. He scattered 20 letters to fellow workers before jumping, which read, "To union comrades...join together the general strike of KCTU... When millions of workers follow the instruction of the KCTU, then the layoff attempts can be blocked...If the labour reform law is passed, just imagine how much businesses will harass workers." The union held rally in front of the hospital, where Choi rested in peace, and discussed future plan. KCTU also organised reverence period. May his soul rest in the emancipated world...
Second Railroading of 'layoff bill'
On Feb. 14, National Assembly passed layoff legalization bill. The KCTU had rejected tripartite agreement and demanded renegotiation on Feb. 9, but the parties, including NCNP and GNP, took it as a inter-union problem and announced to pass the bill. The passed law, to make matters worse, didn't include chaebol reform and guaranttee of working rights. Unlike the tripartite agreement, the passed law erased union member qualification of unemployed worker, enlarged application of worker dispatch system, and allowed only union rights to teachers' union, erasing their right of collective bargaining. The KCTU said "equal pain-sharing was an deception", in their statement, and declared "we will fight strongly until this badly retrogressing and even anti-agreement law is cancelled."
Steel Workers Union Organised
The 2,500 representatives of three steel union groups, the Democratic Metal Workers Federation, the Automobile Federation and the Federation of Hyundai group Unions, held a meeting on Feb. 15, to combine their organizations under the new name of the Consolidated Federation of Steel Workers(CFSW). The new union is composed of 184 smaller unions from the Daewoo, Kia and Hyundai groups and has 190,000 members. Dan Byong-ho, chairman of the emergency committee of KCTU, was appointed as the first head of the union. The CFSW is mandated to carry out wage negotiations, layoff procedures and contract stipulations, on behalf of its members, with managerial organizations.
Declaration of CFSW
We set up the flag of CFSW, on the basis of deceased workers' spirit and pioneering struggle by metal workers from '87. We will be in the forefront of KCTU, construct industrial union, work for the political influence of labor, realize independence, democracy, and reunification of our nation with all of social and people's force, and finally construct emacipated world of freedom, equality, and human dignity.
Platform of CFSW
1. We succeed '87 Great Struggle and deceased workers' spirit and will realize real democratic society where workers live like human through democratic trade union movement.2. We will organize all metal workers, make joint collective bargaining and joint struggle, and construct united steel industrial union.
3. We will achieve political influence by workers, obtain democratic rights, restore independence, and realize reunification of nation.
4. We will fight for improvement of working condition and against sexual discrimination, for example, for living wage, shortening of working time, stability of employment, better working security, and maternity.
5. We will fight for economic democracy such as dismantling of chaebol system and workers' engagement in management, and for reformation of the system in education, tax, consumer price, housing, health care, social welfare, finance, environment, public transportation, culture etc.
6. We will make a solidarity with workers around the world to develop international labor movement. We are opposed to warfare, nuclear weapon, and inequality among nations and endeavor after world peace.
Notice
1. PICIS has a Korean journal which covers foreign movements. If you have struggles you want to inform us or need solidarity action, send them to us.2. If you have comments or suggestion, contact us. We will translate and publicize them in Korea for the Korean workers.
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