Published by PICIS (Policy and Information Center for International Solidarity)
No. 11 (weekly)
Edited by Anna
Mar. 30, Monday, 1998
PICIS was established for joining in the international solidarity movement against neoliberalistic attacks by the transnational capital worldwide, as well as for launching practical international solidarity movement among South Korean progressive forces.
We aim at not only sharing policies and information with foreign progressive organisations but also making practical supporting movement with workers' and peoples' struggles, who are suppressed and exploited.
This newsletter contains Korean progressive forces' activities, and through this newsletter we want to contact and make solidarity with foreign activists and make practical activity with all of you
website : http://kpd.sing-kr.org/~picis
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HEADLINES
(Workers' Daily News is a journal of Korea Research Institute
of Workers' Human Rights and Justice. It is distributed to unions
and organization through national network
and fax.)
1> A lot of people say they can't see difference between the two candidates' pledges. What do you think your difference from each other candidate's pledge?
Jung Gab-deuk : There is certainly difference. I think the difference is whether they are prepared or not. I don't mean Lee's pledges don't have content, but he says himself he couldn't prepare his pledge during standing up the election. Moreover, there are differences on evaluation of political situation and struggle strategy. We put the priority on obtainment of job security and defense of living rights and proposed general strike. Lee accepted this. We want the former to be based on rank-and-files' wide participation, and further to raise renegotiations on IMF conditions. I'm not saying he doesn't agree with me, but he doesn't stress enough.
Lee Gab-yong : I and Ko, my runningmate, was nominated by those who criticized existing leadership's social partnership trend-'labor movement with citizen'. As we see on the pledge, our major policies are 1) direct election of staffs 2) renegotiations on IMF conditions 3) rejection of the tripartite accord, general strike, and establishment of equal tripartite commission. These are differences from Jung's camp. But Jung and Jang, his runningmate, don't fully rupture existing leadership and adhere to 'labor movement with citizen' line.
2> There is a lot of concern over the present situation of KCTU. What's your concrete plan as a candidate to overcome split in KCTU?
Jung : Everyone says renovation, but if renovation is considered as windup and we have defeatism as KCTU is no more than FKTU, there will be no real unity. It should be attained through the election to overcome split in KCTU and attain unity among us. Election process should not be that of slander, but that of unity and of joint preparation for struggle. Present unity within KCTU asks for the unity through struggle. Without struggle, there is no unity. I'm sure that only the unity through struggle can obtain both renovation and unity.
Lee : If top leadership gather and heal the injury with only stitching, the problem will be enlarged. In order to overcome present crisis, including distrust on leadership, we should reveal the substance of problem and share it with rank-and-file. Though we have pain at first, we can cure the split through united struggle against the government and capital. For this, we should triple the number of central committee and quintuple the number of representatives, and let the voice and momentum of workplace have organizational power. We can cure the split through this process.
3> The composition of secretariat is now being major issue. What's your plan on the composition of secretariat?
Jung : First of all, we will construct a secretariat as a system for work and execution based on the priority of grassroot's need. We are considering introduction of from-workplace-to-central dispatch system, workplace experience system, workshift system. And also, we will construct responsible and strong secretariat, and divide and make strike, culture, education, propaganda, and welfare bureau. We are also considering introduction of female vice-president and women bureau.
Lee : We will enlarge and strengthen central by composing the secretariat staff with those from workplace, and make expert training program for officials. Only by this, chiefs of bureaus can accord with the board and represent voices among workplaces. And also, the board should be return to workplace when their term terminate, so that next leadership can easily construct new secretariat. Finally, we will make bureaus of women, strike, and industrial safety, and heighten executive power, making effective organization.
4> On Mar 24, FKTU proposed a 'gentleman's agreement' and 'joint work for local election' to KCTU. If you are elected president, How will you answer to this proposal?
Jung : I don't know the concrete meaning of the gentleman's agreement. But if it is for the struggle for job security and peoples' living rights, we will accept it. If, however, it means that KCTU cooperate with FKTU to prevent unions in FKTU from seceding from it, we don't see the necessity of saying openly about it. It depends on workers' own intention which umbrella organization each union choose, so we can't decide on such problems on higher level. As for the local election, we will discuss it in a newly constructed deliberative organ.
Lee : In the FKTU's proposal on gentleman's agreement, there are terms on reciprocal approval, stoppage of slander, and prevention of secession. KCTU haven't denied the existence of FKTU, and have criticized it sincerely for its democratic development. But, before a gentleman's agreement, FKTU itself should reflect its corruption, bureaucratic nature, and past behavior, like bald support for ruling party, and have workers' viewpoint and philosophy. As for the joint work for local election, KCTU should decide plan for the election first, and discuss joint work. So at present it is not easy to decide strategy and work.
The FKTU's central committee decided organizational merger for the great labor unity by 2002, and proposed a gentleman's agreement, which focused on stoppage of reciprocal slander and prevention of secession from organization, to the KCTU as first step. The FKTU explained the background of this proposal, "Before 2002, when plural union is permitted, It is needed that we should preclude division and disorder and work for the unity among labor forces, for the political, economic, and social status of union". The KCTU said to this proposal, "we agree in principle, and it should be oriented in the course for demand and interest of 13 million workers".
7 unions in Kia Group, including Kia Motors union, had a press conference, saying, "Attempts of acquisition by Hyundai and Samsung is only for chaebol, accelerating chaebols' economic centralization". They asked the government to convert Kia Motors into public corporate and to stop job cuts. Hyundai Motors union said, "Hyundai's acquisition of Kia Motors is good for the traffic control in motor industry. If they guarantee job security of workers in both Hyundai and Kia, we can accept it. But without job security, we will take solidarity struggle with Kia workers".
Sejin Computer union is struggling against the company's layoff, but the company didn't answer their demand and ordered 40 unionists to be placed on the waiting list. The union have been demonstrating from Mar 23, after the company made layoff list of 500 workers unilaterally and dismissed 219 workers.
On Mar 25, the JCMWK held a 'seminar on situation of migrant workers' movement in Asia and our duty for solidarity'. Jung Hye-won, international solidarity secretary, said, "Human rights violation is considered as individual cases and is solved in negative ways. So similar violations happen repeatedly. Let's share information among fragmented human right groups and search solution through continual monitoring." The participants agreed that "migrant workers' movement is not a each nation's internal problem, but a global problem in sharp conflict between capital and labor, which should be solved through solidarity action in national and regional scale".
1. PICIS has a Korean journal which covers foreign movements. If you have struggles you want to inform us or need solidarity action, send them to us.
2. If you have comments or suggestions, contact us. We will translate and publicize them in Korea for the Korean workers.
3. There was following notice in PICIS Newsletter No. 9.
"PICIS is now collaborating with KMWF. We will be in charge of international affairs of KMWF. Korean metal workers are going to make a employment security pact with management. But we have no experience like that. So if you have any materials on job security pact, please send them to us ASAP."
Underlined phrase is different from fact. We are not a organization in charge of international affairs of KMWF, but one of the organizations which share information with KMWF. We give you this correction, for there might be misunderstanding.