Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 13:34:03 -0500 From: Furuhashi.1-AT-osu.edu (Yoshie Furuhashi) Subject: M-I: (Fwd) The Second Wave of General Strike >Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 00:31:11 -0500 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >From: Tony Budak<abudak-AT-alumni.ysu.edu> >Subject: (Fwd) The Second Wave of General Strike ><---- Begin Forwarded Message ----> >Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 02:16:21 +0000 >Reply-To: Forum on Labor in the Global Economy <LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA> >From: LabourNet <chrisbailey-AT-GN.APC.ORG> >Subject: (Fwd) The Second Wave of General Strike >To: Multiple recipients of list LABOR-L <LABOR-L-AT-YORKU.CA> > >------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- >Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 03:13:30 +0900 >From: KCTU-International <kctuint-AT-chollian.dacom.co.kr> >Organization: KCTU >Subject: The Second Wave of General Strike > > KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS > > Struggle for Labour Law Reforms > Campaign News XX > January 3, 1997 > > > > General Strike > The Successful First Wave > Embarking on the Second Wave > > > >The Continuing Tide of General Strike > >On January 3, 1997, the general strike that was sparked off by the >bulldozing of an anti-worker, anti-union labour law and anti-democratic >National Security Planning Agency Act by the ruling party in a secret >meeting of National Assembly, entered into the second wave. > > The Historic General Strike Surges into the New Year > >In accordance with the three phase plan for the second wave of general >strike in the New Year laid out by KCTU president Kwon Young-kil on >December 30, 1996, unionists returning from the New Year's Day Holiday >early resumed the strike on January 3, 1997. However, most of the unions >at large companies, such as, the major car makers and shipyards whose >holiday lasts till January 5, will resume the strike on January 6, 1997. The >general strike will expand to cover all sectors and industries on January 7, >as unions in most of the public utilities, such as, the television and radio >networks and hospitals, are set to join the second wave of the general strike. > >On January 3, 1997, some 46 unions, including the Kia Motors Unions, >Daewoo Motors Union, Ssangyong Motors, Asia Motors affiliated to the >Korean Federation Automobile Workers Unions, and the Hyundai Heavy >Industry Union, Hanjin Heavy Industry, and Daewoo Shipbuilding Union of >the Korean Federation of Metalworkers Unions, and the Kumho Tyre of the >Korean Council of Chemical Workers Unions, totalling 96,158 workers took >part in the first phase escalation of the second wave of general strike. > >The resurgence of the general strike put an end to much of the >"concern" or "doubt" about the possibility of picking up the momentum of >the general strike that had to be temporarily suspended due to the New >Year's Day holiday. > >The keen "interest" in the "success" of the January 3rd strike was >revealed in the mean attempt by the Ministry of Labour to distort and reduce >the size of workers and union participation in the strike. The Ministry of >Labour released regular press reports on January 3, radically downsizing the >strength of the strike. The Ministry of Labour reported that only 31 unions >and 22 thousand workers took part in the first phase escalation of the >second wave general strike. For example, the Ministry of Labour report >claimed that only 1,500 members of the Daewoo Motors Union took part in >the strike. However, the KCTU found that this figure was only those who >took part in the public rally and campaign the union conducted after having >completed a union strike meeting at the factory. In fact, some 3,500 >workers attended the strike meeting; and among them, apart from those >who returned home or stayed on the factory picket line, 1,500 members >went out into the downtown areas to conduct street campaigns. >Furthermore, more than 80% of the members who were scheduled to work >on the night shift had already made resolution to boycott the work. > > The Sharpening of the Goal of the General Strike > >The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions had to modify its tack for the >aims of the general strike. This was brought about by the sudden decision of >the Korean government on December 31, 1996, to formally promulgate the >amended labour law (to come into effect from March 1, 1997). The >government action can only be regarded as a calculated step to quell the >'hopes' for a presidential veto of the amended labour law. > >As a result, the leadership of the KCTU, redefined the goal of the >general strike. In daily press conferences since the New Year's Day, the >KCTU leadership made clear that the goal of the general strike was to bring >about a nullification of the new labour law and the declaration of the >government to begin a new round of (genuine) democratic discussions >involving all the political parties, government, employers, and the unions for >the enactment of a new labour law. > >President Kwon Young-kil declared that the KCTU will extend the >massive militant action into the presidential election to bring about the >downfall of Kim Young Sam government if the government fails to accept >the KCTU demands for a genuine re-amendment of the labour laws. > >The "unexpected" or "unwanted" work out of nearly 100,000 workers on >January 3 has laid the foundation for the second phase escalation on >Monday January 6. The resumption of strike by the major manufacturing >sector unions and the fresh participation of hundreds of white collar unions >on January 6 will set the stage for a concerted effort of the KCTU to bring >about the nullification of the new labour law and beginning of the work for a >democratic enactment of a new labour law in compliance with international >labour standards. > > The Popular Support for the Historic General Strike > >The KCTU-led general strike, the first since September general strike in >1946 under the Japanese colonial rule, sent seismic wave across the society. >The fact that the government, despite repeated pronouncement of the intent >to deal severely with the leaders of the strike, has so far "failed" to arrest >any of the KCTU leaders is an indication of the widespread popular support >for the general strike. Even the mass media, which tend to jump to knee- >jerk reaction at any sign of industrial action, remained neutral, giving >generally objective portrayal of the nation-wide general strike. > >The broad based public support was clearly borne out by a public survey >published in the Hankyereh, a major national daily, on December 31, 1996. >A public opinion survey conducted by a gallop agency at the request of the >major opposition political party, the National Congress for New Politics, >found that 54.5% of the people surveyed supported the general strike calling >for the nullification of the anti-democratic, anti-worker, and anti-union >labour >law bulldozed through the parliament. > > KCTU Pays Special Attention to Public Needs > >At the news conference held to make public the plan for the New Year's >wave of general strike, president Kwon also announced that he has >requested the subway and hospital workers to suspend their strike. The >decision to send the public service workers back to work, reflecting the >elastic strategy of general strike, was aimed at reducing the public disruption >during the holiday period. As a result of the decision, unionists at the Seoul >Subway and Pusan Subway returned to work immediately on December 30. >The hospital workers returned to work from the morning of December 31. > > >The Surge of the First Wave General Strike > >The general strike calling for the nullification of the 'new labour laws' >commandeered by the ruling party was launched by the president Kwon >Young-kil's declaration immediately after the news of the extraordinary >passage of the labour law amendment bill. > > The First Day > >The first wave of general strike was kicked off by the Kia Motors Union, >located in Sohwa-li, about one hour's distance from downtown Seoul. >17,000 members of the union began to assemble at the company ground as >they reported to work. By 10 o'clock, the union held a mass meeting, led >by the union president Lee Jae Seung, and began to converge on the >Myongdong Cathedral in Seoul where the KCTU's leadership had set up the >general strike headquarters. > >At 10:30, unions at Hyosung Heavy Industry, Daeheung Machinery, >Tong-il Heavy Industry, Korea Fukoku affiliated to the Korean Federation of >Metalworkers Industry were out on strike. Member unions of the Korean >Hospital Workers Unions and the Korean Federation of Professional and >Technicians Unions completed union meetings to decide on strike. And the >union at the Donsuh Food * the major coffee maker * led the Korean >Council of Chemical Workers Unions into the general strike. The >Federation of Hyundai Group Trade Unions completed the meeting to >prepare for the strike set to begin on 1 p.m. > >By 1 p.m., member unions of the Federation of Hyundai Group Trade >Unions, the Korean Federation of Metalworkers Unions, the Federation of >Automobile Workers Unions, completed the strike commencement rally at >their own company grounds and began to converge at the various regional >centres. Hyundai Motors, Hyundai Heavy Industry, Daewoo Heavy >Industry, and other major manufacturing sector unions joined the strike. >Some 4,000 workers had already converged on the Myongdong Catheral >when the first public rally of the general strike got underway around 12 noon. > >At the end of the day, the KCTU office in Samsun-dong Seoul was busy >responding to the requests from journalists for the tally of striking unions >and workers. The 10 p.m. tally confirmed the massive wave of the general >strike that shocked not only the government and the mass media, but also >the KCTU office staff. When the final tally for the first of the general >strike >was completed, a total of 95 unions with a total participation of 146,233 >workers were out on the strike. > >Furthermore, some 63 unions held meetings on December 26 deciding >to join the general strike on the second day, December 27. A further 17 >unions decided to join the strike wave by the third day. > >On the first two days of the general strike, 80 out of the 110 member >unions of the Korean Federation of Metalworkers Unions, totaling 71,831 >workers, launched themselves into the general strike. 21 out of 34 member >unions of the Korean Federation of Automobile Workers Unions, totaling >52,200 workers, also joined the strike march. 15 out of 94 member unions >of the Korean Federation of Professional and Technicians Unions also >joined the strike on the first two days. The Hyundai Group Trade Union >Federation, which includes the Korea's largest car maker and world's >largest shipyard, carried its weight in the general strike by bringing out a >total of 79,901 workers from 13 out 20 member unions. Seoul Subway >Workers Union, with a membership of 9,399 workers also decided to join the >general strike on December 28. > >The striking workers spilled out onto streets and converged in the >various regional centres. In Inchon some 3,000 workers gathered at the >Dong-Inchon Railway Station plaza; further 3,000 gathered at the Suwon >Railway Station plaza while another 3,000 gathered at the Kwangju Railway >Station plaza. The largest regional gatherings outside Seoul were in Ulsan >and Masan-Changwon region where some 20,000 and 10,000 workers took >part respectively. > > The Second Day > >The expansion of the general strike on the second day was led by >hospital workers. 14 unions, including those at the Seoul University >General Medical Centre, Ewha Women's University General Medical Centre, >Inchon Red Cross General Medical Centre, totalling 14,000, joined the strike. >The Korean Federation of Hospital Workers Unions decided to maintain the >operations at the essential sections of the hospitals by staffing the >emergency centres, intensive care units, operation threatres, and new born >centres to minimise the effect of the strike for the in-patients and >urgent out- >patients. > >Inspired by the recent strike of the French truck drivers, members of the >12 unions affiliated to the Korean Federation of Truck Drivers Unions, held a >truck-parade along the main expressway. Some 200 trucks were involved >in the demonstration. The low-speed driving by the truck drivers >succeeded in slowing down the expressway. > >On December 27, the Daewoo Motors joined the ranks of the striking >workers, bringing the last of the 6 major Korean car makers into the historic >general strike. With the additional surge, the tally of striking unions and >unionists as the second day of the strike came to close increased to 163 >unions and 206,220 workers. > >Even further expansion of the general strike was foreshadowed on > >December 27, as the unions in the four major television and ration networks >resolved to join the strike march. Pusan Subway Workers Union also >decided to join the strike. > --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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