People's Democracy

 ASIAN REGIONAL TU CONFERENCE

Solidarity With South Korean Workers’ Struggle 

A K Padmanabhan

SOUTH Korea, ‘the land of morning calm’ is in turmoil. While the working people have come onto the streets on their demands, the masses are agitating against the decision of their government to send troops to Iraq.

It was in these circumstances the Asian Regional Trade Union Conference to discuss various aspects of imperialist globalisation was held at Seoul from November 5-7. This platform gave the participants an opportunity to directly participate and express solidarity with the ongoing struggles of the South Korea workers.

KCTU, the leading organisation of South Korean workers organised this conference. Various trade unions from India, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Hong Kong and also South Africa participated in the conference, along with the representatives of KCTU. Representatives of SIGTUR were also present. 

CITU was represented by A K Padmanabhan, secretary and AITUC representative was H Mahadevan.

The president of KCTU, Don Byunug Ho, inaugurated the conference on November 5. The first session of the conference was on ‘Neo-Liberal Globalisation and the Future of Trade Union movement’. Representatives of KCTU and from Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan presented papers. This was followed by a discussion in which many of the delegates participated. The afternoon session was on ‘US Hegemony, Asia and Challenges of Trade Unions’. Five papers were presented in this session also.

CITU representative submitted a paper on ‘Anti-War struggles and tasks of Trade Union movement with a focus on the case of India’.

A third session was held on ‘Women and Migrant Workers in Asia and Trade Union Response’. Four papers were presented in this session. Intervening in the discussion, CITU representative explained the problems facing the working women and the experience of mobilising women workers in India. KCTU representative participating in this session was Lee Hyang Won, who was one of the women office bearers.

On the second day, two commissions were formed to discuss ‘ Trans National Corporations, Basic Labour Rights and Responses of Trade Unions’ and on ‘Public Sector Workers and Basic Labour Rights’.

In the first session, experience of various countries regarding the TNCs were shared. CITU representative was one among the four who presented their submissions for discussion. The afternoon session in the commission were on ‘Privatisation, Liberalisation and Trade Union Responses’ and on ‘Neo-Liberalism and the Casualisation, Informalisation and the Poverty of Workers’.

CITU representative participated in the second session and could present details on the Indian experience.

While the conference was going on, Korean workers, as part of their National Programme of Action, conducted a four-hour strike across the country on November 6. The striking workers held massive demonstrations in various places, including Seoul. Policemen had severely attacked the workers during these demonstrations.

The participants in the conference, decided to visit the sit-in centre in Seoul, in front of the Central Railway Station to express solidarity with the workers. These sit-in programmes were being held from October 28 in various parts of the country against the government’s anti-worker policies.

SEVERE ATTACK ON WORKERS

The situation in South Korea is very serious as the government and employers have stepped up their offensive. Casualisation and contractualisation has increased. The disparities between these so-called irregular workers and regular workers are increasing. More than 60 per cent of the workforce are considered as irregulars and are paid less than 50 per cent wages.

Another offensive is that of confiscating wages and properties for participating in ‘illegal strikes’. 46 unions and its leadership have been served with court orders for provisional seizure of wages and for seeking compensation for damages amounting to over $118 million. Public sector managements are also following the same line of offensive.

Five worker leaders have committed suicides, protesting against these anti-worker policies during this year. Three of these suicides were in the month of October 2003. Another worker who tried to immolate himself on October 23 is in hospital in a very serious condition.
It was in these circumstances, the KCTU had charted out the National Programme of Action with sit-ins from October 28, a 4-hour strike and demonstrations on November 6, a massive rally on November 9 and a general strike on November 12.

As the news of police attack on demonstrators came, foreign delegates in the conference addressed a press conference on November 7 condemning the police repression and anti-labour policies of the South Korean government.

The delegates also met the family members of a martyr, who had immolated himself and expressed condolences.

ASIAN SOLIDARITY 

The session on the afternoon of November 7 was devoted to discussions about future coordination among Asian trade unions. It was felt that the attack on workers rights and on democratic rights have intensified. The effect of liberalisation on the lives of workers has been disastrous. All those participating in the discussion accepted the need for exchange of opinions and information among Asian trade unions. A joint declaration adopted by the conference called for strengthening the joint response of trade unions to the present situation. It was decided to strengthen networking; to publish a Mayday joint declaration for the year 2004; to establish a working group for systematic response to TNCs and to organise an Asian Day of action against war.

MASSIVE RALLY 

The national rally held in Seoul on November 9 evoked massive response. Policemen stopped the march, which began after the public meeting. All the foreign delegates also participated in the public meeting and the march.

Policemen attacked the workers in the march and clashes erupted in various parts of the city. More than 100 workers were injured and hundreds others were arrested.

The general strike on November 12 was successfully held and demonstrations were also organised all over the country. KCTU has decided to continue the struggle with further strikes and rallies.

The more the attack by the governments and employers, more the necessity of united actions is felt. The Asian regional trade union conference is a step forward in coordinating activities at regional level, in the struggle against imperialist globalisation.