Repression against trade unions continues to rise
BRUSSELS: The annual report by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions documenting trade union rights violations and repression worldwide is out.
The 2002 ICFTU Survey, which covers the period from January to December 2001 and 132 countries and territories across the globe, reports 223 cases of murdered or “disappeared” trade unionists in 2001, or an increase of 14 over the previous year. In Colombia alone, there was a record number of 201 assassinations or disappearances.
Also because they stood up for workers’ rights against the state or unscrupulous employers, some 4,000 trade unionists were arrested, 1,000 injured and 10,000 lost their jobs. The survey points out the stubborn anti-democratic stance of certain states and the fierce competition in the global economy, trends which can best be fought through international trade union solidarity.
To read the complete report or to search for information concerning a particular country, download the ICFTU Annual Survey 2002 on the associated link. The report exists in English, German, French and Spanish.
Kia workers approve deal, end strike
REP. OF KOREA: On July 23, unionised workers at Kia Motors voted by a two-thirds majority to ratify the collective bargaining agreement reached on July 19 between union negotiators and management at South Korea’s No. 2 automaker.
After a month-long partial (12-hour-a-day) strike over improved wages and bonus payments, workers accepted the company’s offer of a monthly pay hike of 9.1 per cent, or 95,000 won (US$82.18), and a “performance” bonus of 150 per cent of the monthly wage plus 800,000 won (US$692). In addition to this, each worker will receive a special incentive bonus of 1.5 million won (US$1,292).
Other key points in the settlement include:
- union access to company business information to be extended;
- union shop to apply to R&D and sales department;
- time alloted for union activities to be increased for shop stewards;
- regarding the 40-hour workweek, Kia to follow the parent company Hyundai or the government’s formal legislation (current working conditions and wages levels would be maintained);
- women’s maternity rights to be strengthened.
The deal secured by the Kia union, a member of the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers’ Federation, is similar to that reached back in June at Kia’s parent company, Hyundai Motor, where workers also took industrial action in order to achieve their goals.
Ispat collective talks at impasse
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Negotiations for a new collective agreement between the IMF-affiliated Steelworkers’ Union of Trinidad and Tobago (SWUTT) and Caribbean Ispat Limited, a subsidiary of Ispat International Group, the world’s 8th largest steelmaker, have reached a stalemate after a long series of meetings. The contract is to cover the period November 1, 2001, to October 31, 2004.
Among the unresolved items, the management of Caribbean Ispat Limited has proposed:
- a 9% wage increase for the 3 years 2001 – 2004;
- cuts in sick leave and vacation leave;
- the introduction of random drug testing;
- changes to the selection, employment and promotion policy;
- low increases in cost items such as meal allowance, travelling and shift premiums;
- very little or nothing for cost-of-living allowance.
The union’s demands include:
- a 12% wage increase over the 3-year period;
- enhanced/consolidated cost-of-living allowance;
- enhanced medical plan and improved medical benefits for retirees;
- improved pension benefits;
- paternity leave;
- computer loans;
- training and retraining;
- vacation loans.
The president of the union, Grafton Woodley, has put the membership on alert, not ruling out the possibility of strike action. SWUTT is the recognised majority union for both weekly- and monthly-paid workers at Caribbean Ispat Limited.
Belarus union bows to government pressure
BELARUS: After long efforts on the part of the Belarus president, Alexander Lukashenko, and his government to do away with the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB), the union’s leadership decided to give in to the intense pressure and on July 16, in Minsk, elected Leonid Kozik, deputy head of Lukashenko’s presidential administration, as the FTUB’s new president. Kozik is unknown in the trade union movement.
Authorities have been increasing their pressure on independent trade unions in Belarus and interfering in their activities in an attempt to split, weaken and destroy their structures. Included in such government moves was the suppression of the check-off system, suspension of social dialogue, support to “company” unions or to any union which would distance itself from the FTUB.
Very unfortunately, this pressure appears to have led many leaders of the FTUB to conclude that only an FTUB president close to Lukashenko and the Belarus government would allow the federation to maintain its activities.
Speaking as a delegate at the extraordinary plenum of the FTUB, the president of the IMF-affiliated Belarus Automobile & Agricultural Machinery Workers’ Union, Alexander Bukhvostov, stated that “as of July 22 we’ll start picketing against trade union rights violations and we invite other unions to join us.” Gennadii Fedynich, president of the Radio & Electronics Industry Workers’ Union, also affiliated at international level to the IMF, condemned the methods by which the election of the new FTUB president was forced through.
An FTUB congress will be held on July 31.
Note: The FTUB congress was postponed and finally held in September.
CANADA: An overwhelming ratification vote (81%) for a proposed agreement has ended a six-week struggle by the CAW against Navistar. The company had asked for 20 pages of concessions, but in the areas of wages, benefits, time off the job and hours of work the union fought them all off. In addition, there were gains in pensions and a guarantee that the plant would not be closed prior to June 1, 2003.
“This strike was unlike any other struggle our union has had in the last 50 years,” said Buzz Hargrove, CAW president. “A major multinational, U.S.-based corporation, International Truck, attempted to break a legal strike in a large assembly plant by bringing in scabs. With concessions demands that forced us out on strike, the corporation chose to taunt the workforce by hiring large numbers of goons and thugs to bring the buses of scabs through the picket line.” However, continued Hargrove, “the entire union understood the importance of this struggle and at my request remained on alert to down tools at a moment’s notice and head to Chatham.”
One striker, Don Milner, who was critically injured on June 24 when a van driven by security guards hit six picketers, remains in critical condition. The IMF joins the CAW in sending its heartfelt support to this CAW member and his family.
Workers Reinstated at Auto Alliance (Thailand)
THAILAND: Auto Alliance (Thailand), a joint venture of Ford and Mazda, suspended four union leaders in May (see previous IMF report of May 31). By the end of the month, three had been fired outright and the case of the fourth (who could not be fired immediately because he was a member of a legally mandated committee) was pending before the Thai labour authorities.
Strong protests were made by the IMF and affiliates to Auto Alliance management, supporting the demand of the Auto Alliance union (AATU) for negotiations for the immediate reinstatement of the workers. In June, an IMF delegation accompanied the AATU and IMF Thai affiliate TEAM to a meeting with AAT management to promote a negotiated solution.
Thanks to the efforts of TEAM, backed up by international solidarity, a new round of negotiations took place which resulted in an agreement for the reinstatement of the workers.
The return of the fired workers to the plant is a victory of solidarity which will allow the AATU to increase its strength and provide momentum for organising workers in neighbouring plants.
Korean union leaders released!
REP. OF KOREA: The president of the Korean Daewoo autoworkers’ union, Kim Il-sup, and vice-president, Kim Sung-gap, have been set free.
The Daewoo struggle has been one of the hardest fought in Korea over the last 2 years. In February 2001, Kim Il-sup led the occupation of the Daewoo plants and resisted for 4 days before the riot police broke in. After that the two union leaders were forced to hide in Sangok Cathedral for one year. They were finally caught in February 2002 and sent to prison for 5 years.
Their release came as a great surprise to the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers’ Federation. “Nobody expected that they would be released this soon since it is very rare in Korea for those who receive 5 years’ imprisonment to be set free,” said KMWF spokesperson, Kim Joo-hee.
“Thank you to all IMF affiliates. It is amazing to see the real power of international solidarity this soon!”
Daily arrests in South Korea
SOUTH KOREA: During the ongoing World Championship in football, 23 trade unionists in South Korea were arrested and shut in jail. This brings the total number of imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea to 52.
Only this week, more than 20 unionists at the Doosan Heavy Industry were targeted for arrest, including Kim Chang Keun, the President of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) a member of the Korean Metal Workers’ Federation (KMWF).
Thousands of other unionists in South Korea are subjected to other forms of legal action, and many have lost their jobs for forming a union in their work place.
The arrest and imprisonment of unionists in South Korea is a flagrant abuse of fundamental workers’ rights. Today, June 27, unionists will hold protests around the world, calling for the immediate release of these imprisoned trade unionists and the withdrawal of all arrest warrants issued for other trade unionists.
The Day of Action is initiated by the International Metalworkers’ Federation, and is carried out together with the Public Services International. The Day of Action is also endorsed by the Global Unions.
Day of Action for South Korea
REP. OF KOREA/GLOBAL: June 27, trade unions around the world participated in a Day of Action, calling for the immediate release of imprisoned trade unionists in Korea.
Currently, a total of 52 South Korean trade unionists are in prison on account of their legitimate trade union activities, including Dan Byung-ho, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
Update: April 3, 2003, Dan Byung-ho was released from prison, having served the full term of a 20-month prison sentence. Click here to read more.
Update: July 3, 2002, two trade union leaders were released from prison as a result of the Day of Action. Click here to read more.
Examples of actions taken on June 27:
On June 28, the Korean Metalworkers’ Federation thanked the IMF and the IMF affiliates for their solidarity actions.
Click here to read their letter.
The Public Services International (PSI) joined the IMF in calling on all their affiliates to take action and the Global Unions was also backing the protest action (see
www.global-unions.org/korea2002).
The German IMF-affiliate IG Metall, in cooperation with Amnesty International, has also launched the campaign MAYDAY, calling upon the public to help politically persecuted trade unionists.
Click here to read more about the IG Metall campaign.
See also our sheet of
Frequently asked questions about the Day of Action.
Click here to reach a collection of pictures from different actions around the world.
Do you want to take concrete action? Send a
digital letter of protest to Kim Dae-jung.
Are you in doubt that the South Korean police assault trade unionists?
View a video showing riot police attacking workers.
The Day of Action follows on from previous action taken by metalworkers on January 22, action which is believed to be partly responsible for the release of Mun Sung-hyun, former president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Federation (KMWF), on March 26, 2002. Click here to read more about the previous Day of Action.
A journey from president to lathe operator
GENEVA SWITZERLAND No one who attended the IMF Executive Committee meeting in Geneva in May will forget the 8-year-old girl in the first row, near the
podium where serious middle-aged men kept track of agenda, paragraphs and speakers. Jee-hyun stayed close to her father, Mun Sung-hyun, at this odd spot for their first-ever family holiday.
You all know the story: Mun, the then president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Federation, was imprisoned when he returned to Seoul from the IMF Congress in Sydney last November, accused amongst others of violating the law on assembly and demonstration. Following worldwide trade union solidarity actions on January 22, he was set free in March, after serving 4 months out of the 18 to which he was sentenced.
Now he spoke to the IMF Executive. “With your help, with your solidarity, I was released,” he said, addressing all IMF affiliates, and applause burst out. We were applauding his trade union work, the concrete actions of solidarity carried out by thousands of metalworkers, but most of all Brother Mun’s freedom and his joy in rejoining his family.
In a calmer spot, some hours later, Mun tells more about his release. “I had heard that in January metalworkers rallied in 35 countries. And I knew that the South Korean government felt the international pressure on them. Yes, the release did not come as a big surprise.”
Mun had been sentenced to another three years in jail, but that ruling has now been suspended for one and a half years.
During his stay in prison, Mun completed his second term as president of the Korean Metal Workers’ Federation, and the union, following its statutes, chose a new leader. “I will now go back to my former work, as a lathe operator at an autoparts manufacturer in Changwon. I will be an ordinary trade union member. Only next year will it be decided what I do in the future. It might be as a trade union leader; it can also be that I run for parliament.”
Now, in Geneva, those prospects seem far away. Gathering his family for a photo session, Mun tells about their coming plans.
“You know, since the mid 80s, I’ve been imprisoned 6 times for trade union activism, my wife 3 times. I’m so glad that we can have this holiday together now.”
In a few hours, the train for the Swiss resort of Interlaken will leave. After that, the family will visit friends in Prague, Czech Republic, before returning to South Korea and Changwon.
But the repressive hand of the South Korean government and president, Kim Dae-jung, is still present in his home country. Mun, at the Executive, reminded us of the fate of all other trade unionists still imprisoned.
“Brother Dan Byung-ho of the KCTU, and many other brothers and sisters still remain in jail.”
On June 27, the IMF is coordinating a second Day of Action for the release of imprisoned South Korean trade unionists, together with the Public Services International (PSI) and the support of the ICFTU.
