By *Young-su Won* August 6, 2009 -- After days of harsh and inhumane assaults by riot police and company thugs on striking workers occupying the Ssangyong Motor plant in Pyeongtaek, near Seoul, the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) and management reached an agreement: the union accepted part of the company’s redundancy proposal, saving about half the strikers’ jobs, while the rest will apply for voluntary retirement or unpaid long-term leave, or accept another job with the spin-off company.
Union leader Han Sang-gyun apologised to the striking comrades for not being able to block the Ssangyong’s whole redundancy plan. He solemnly said the scars of the struggle will not be easily forgotten. The strikers, including union leaders, were arrested by the police. More than 100 workers are expected to be put to a trial. However, the Ssangyong workers have done their best during the 77-day occupation. Though a full-scale victory has not been achieved, these heroic working-class warriors deserve the homage of workers across the globe. Full article at http://links.org.au/node/1187 Subscribe free to Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal at http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=343373 You can also follow Links on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LinksSocialism ________________________________________________ YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
