> ------------------------------------------- > > More clashes outside Daewoo car plant > =========================== > Students and union activists hurled petrol bombs at > club-wielding police in South Korea during a protest > outside a Daewoo car plant. > > Protesters burned an empty police bus while marching > towards the plant at Bupyong, near Seoul. > > One policeman was taken away, bleeding from a leg, > after the fighting which lasted for 20 minutes. > > Organisers say they will hold more protests until > police release 80 striking workers arrested > yesterday at the plant during a raid. > > About 1,500 workers at Daewoo's two other major car > plants in South Korea, Kunsan and Changwon, staged > sympathy walkouts for several hours. > > Police broke up a four-day protest by 600 laid-off > workers at Bupyong, Daewoo Motor's main plant, last > night. > > The company sacked 1,751 workers last week as part > of restructuring efforts in the wake of the 1997-98 > Asian currency crisis. > > Daewoo, South Korea's third largest car firm, > applied for bankruptcy in November under debts that > totalled more than £10 billion at the time. > > General Motors is the only potential bidder for > Daewoo since Ford withdrew a bid in September. > > Last updated: 09:27 Tuesday 20th February 2001 > See this story on Ananova: > http://www.ananova.com/go/122011?nav_src=maf_email > > ------------------------------------------- > > Police raid Daewoo plant in bid to end protest > =============================== > Thousands of riot police have raided Daewoo's main > plant in South Korea to try to end a four-day sit-in > protest by 500 laid-off workers. > > Officers used four excavators to break down the > front gate after two clashes with workers that left > a dozen people injured. Several union leaders were > detained. > > Tyres and broken furniture had been set on fire by > workers at the plant in Bupyong, 18 miles west of > Seoul. > > Witnesses said a makeshift tent caught fire, but > police with hoses extinguished blazes before they > spread to nearby buildings. Protesters barricaded > themselves inside a building, refusing to surrender. > > Two helicopters flew overhead, broadcasting warnings > for the workers to disperse or face arrest. Police > escorted some members of the protesters' families > home by bus. > > Police were trying to arrest 30 union leaders who > organised the protest after the company laid off > 1,751 workers as part of its restructuring > programme. > > Earlier, workers fought officers at the plant's main > gate, hurling rocks and wielding steel pipes. Some > sprayed police with fire extinguishers. > > Protesters shouted "Guarantee our right to survive" > and charged into columns of police with interlocked > shields. > > "We've nothing more to lose," union leader Kim > Il-sup said on state KBS-TV. "What can we do but > protest?" > > The lay-offs were part of efforts to make Daewoo > more attractive to General Motors. GM began > negotiations to take over Daewoo in September, but > is reportedly reluctant to continue without > lay-offs. > > Last updated: 11:32 Monday 19th February 2001 > See this story on Ananova: > http://www.ananova.com/go/121551?nav_src=maf_email > > ------------------------------------------- > > CHECK FOR MORE ON: > World > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=World&nav_src=maf_more_on > > South Korea > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=South+Korea&nav_src=maf_more _on > > Business > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=Business&nav_src=maf_more_on > > Automobiles > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=Automobiles&nav_src=maf_more _on > > General Motors Corp > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=General+Motors+Corp&nav_src= maf_more_on > > Daewoo > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=Daewoo&nav_src=maf_more_on > > Protests > http://www.ananova.com/news/index.html?keywords=Protests&nav_src=maf_more_on > > __________________________________________________
