------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Nov. 15, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
AS GM BUYS UP DAEWOO: SOUTH KOREA KEEPS UNION LEADER IN PRISON By Jeff Bigelow The Korean Stock Exchange announced Nov. 5 that foreign companies, led by the U.S. and Japan, own over 42 percent of the top 30 "Korean" conglomerates. Many, like Samsung and POSCO, are over 50 percent owned by foreign interests. U.S. banks and financial institutions have swooped in like vultures since South Korea's 1987 economic crisis. At the same time, repression against the labor movement has increased. As U.S. and IMF-inspired "restructuring" has taken place, countless people have been laid off with little means of survival. Rights that workers had won over the years have been cut back. Union leaders have been arrested and police have gone on rampages beating those who speak up. Over 600 union leaders and activists are currently in jail. Over 218 have been arrested so far this year. To counter this, the most progressive union federation, the KCTU, called for a general strike in June. It demanded an end to layoffs, more rights for temporary workers and public employees, the reduction of the workweek to five days, and an end to the so-called National Security law that has been used for years to throw all opponents of injustice and U.S. occupation into jail. Instead of responding to the issues raised by tens of thousands in the streets across southern Korea, the government acted to arrest even more union leaders. For 35 days, KCTU president Dan Byung-ho and others sat-in at a church to thwart an arrest warrant. Finally, the union leaders agreed to surrender to police on the basis that the repression and further arrests would stop. The Catholic Church participated in negotiating the agreement with the government--one that was supposed to have resulted in Dan's release from jail on Oct. 3. But only hours before he was to be released, the government issued new charges against him. As a result, Dan Byung-ho is still in prison. While President Dan languishes in prison, General Motors has moved to take over Daewoo Motors. GM has signed an agreement to take over four Daewoo plants--while closing the biggest plant with the strongest union local. Over 7,000 jobs will be lost directly, while another 50,000 jobs that depend on that plant will be lost. The only thing that stands in GM's way is the union contract. For the plants to be sold, the union must agree. So GM is demanding that the contract be changed. At the end of October, GM declared that the current contract was unacceptable and demanded an agreement with a no-strike clause. That way GM could do anything it wants. GM owns a plant in Pretoria, South Africa, under the Delta Motors name, where a recent strong strike by South African workers won a significant wage increase. Now GM/Delta has laid off hundreds and unilaterally changed a sick leave policy leading to the disciplining of nearly 400 workers in one month. A new strike is expected there shortly. GM doesn't want Korean workers, who make even less, to have an effective voice or the right to strike. In July, the minimum wage in southern Korea increased a whopping 12.6 percent--to $1.61 per hour. Is it any wonder that President Dan is in jail? President Dan's continued imprisonment may also be an act to please the U.S. government, since the KCTU has organized opposition to the U.S. war drive over the last month. Unions and labor leaders across the world have responded by calling for President Dan's release. Even the International Labor Organization has sent its president to Seoul to call for his release. Anyone wishing to write a letter or join this effort can log on to http://kctu.org/ for more details. Of even greater significance is the development of a new international union federation called SIGTUR--the Southern Initiative on Globalization and Trade Union Rights. It is composed of the major progressive union federations in South Africa, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Australia. Its purpose is not only to increase real international solidarity, but also to counter ruling- class power with the power of the workers in general, as a step toward social emancipation. The first meeting of SIGITUR is being held in Seoul from Nov. 5-9. The final day of the conference will take up the need to defend and get the release of President Dan, as well as the need to stop the U.S. war against the people of Afghanistan. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. 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