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LAST DAYS' STRUGGLE REPORT
In preparation of last Friday’s “general” strike several trade unions for irregular workers, such as KIA Motors, Police Office Workers Union (P.O.W.U.) and at least 6 other trade unions, organized in the KCTU, held a culture festival last Thursday night. About 150 trade union activists (Voice of the People/민중의 소리 wrote 200, the article you can read here) gathered in front of Hanwon Country Club (cc) headquarter, where Hanwon cc Trade Union (한원cc노동조합) activists are in sit-in strike, today now since 267 days (today they are also in their 10th day of hunger strike)
and celebrated a great evening of solidarity and unity. Among other “professional” protest singers such as Park Joon or Ji Min-ju trade union activists, such as KIA, Kirin Telecom and P.O.W.U. performed their own expression dances – and very impressive!!! The atmosphere was a little like on a good rock festival – just fantastically.
More pictures about the great event you can see here.
Last Friday’s “general” strike to abolish the terrible conditions for irregular workers and struggle against the possible passing of the new bill for – better said against - them, KCTU called for, started in the early afternoon with several opening rallies and later demonstrations to the actual rally place on Yeouido, near the National Assembly. The most large opening rally was organized by the Korean Federation of Public Transportation & Social Service Worker’s Union (공공연맹) – about 5000 members participated. Beside leading Union activists the demonstration to Yeouido was led by disabled people activists, today since 11 day’s occupying the “National Center for Human Rights”, near the City Hall, downtown Seoul (last Saturday already a powerful demonstration to support this struggle took the streets of Seoul, more about it you can see here).
More pictures about this rally and demonstration you can see here.
Later at around 3 pm about 20.000 KCTU members and activists (five migrant workers participated too) gathered on Yeouido, near the National Assembly.
The KCTU struggles against a bill, the S. Korean government wants to bring to the National Assembly (NA), saying its passage will just increase the number of non-regular workers and make their job status less stable.
The government finalized the bill last September and laid it before the National Assembly as “part of efforts to protect the rights of non-regular workers as well as ensure labor market flexibility to help employers”, so the government said.
But in fact the bill will just lead to an increasing of the numbers of irregular workers.
So the bill has been facing strong opposition from both full-time workers and part-timers who are sure it will only serve the interest of capitalist class.
The number of irregular workers was estimated at 7.13 million at the end of last year, accounting for 49 percent of the S. Korea’s working class. Their wages usually stand at about 60 percent of what regular workers make and they can also be very easily fired.
All over S. Korea about 120.000 irregular workers went in the afternoon on strike and additional around 45.000 in 22 cities participated on rallies and demonstrations. According to KCTU 231 companies were affected by the strike.
First of all even if just a small part of KCTU members went on strike, you can’t call it general strike – and it seems that the government is not really impressed by Friday’s activities.
If KCTU’s leadership is really thinking, that Friday’s actions were a “general” strike and that this was all what we can bring to fight against the bill, than the bill definitely will pass (just remember the struggle against the troop dispatching bills – KCTU leadership promised and called for struggle “without compromises, even strike is not impossible” they said, but when the people wanted to fight, they stopped them…) the NA.
Already many activists saw in Friday’s activities nothing else than a giant theater production to put us on calm. So, if this comes to the truth, we should teach them a better lesson!
Unity and solidarity is our weapon in the daily class war!!
More pictures about the main strike rally on Yeouido you can see here.
Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon in Seoul’s Daehakno district disabled activists and their sympathizers held a street action to support the sit-in strike in the occupied “National Center for Human Rights". Here also migrant workers joined the action.
During about 5 hours many signatures were collected, buttons and other things sold and many people, mainly kids and youngsters got beautiful face paintings – just see the pictures about the event here.
"광고"
天地人&연영석
IN CONCERT
내일 (月), 오후 7시 30분
롤링홀 (Rolling Hall), 홍대
(지하철: 2호선 -> 합청역, 6호선 -> 상수역)
☞ Here you can watch a related video.
Check out also this!!
LET’S FIGHT TOGETHER FOR A WORLD
WITHOUT EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION!
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE, ONLY
IF YOU WANT AND FIGHT FOR IT!
착취와 억압이 없는 그날을 위해 투쟁
당신이 그걸 원하고 그것을 위해
투쟁한다면 다른 세상은 가능하다! 투쟁!
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NEW!! Migrant Workers TV first broadcasting comming Sat. 
