[vol.20] [Report on the International Meeting] The solution to the problem of the exploitation of women workers in Central and South American countries by Korean companies is to be found in worker solidarity
WORKING WOMAN 2008. 3. 21. 11:21Report on the international Meeting
The solution to the problem of the exploitation of women workers in Central and South American countries by Korean companies is to be found in worker solidarity
- The situation of the women workers in the Free Trade Zone in Central
and South America -
Jin Kyung Bae KWWAU Publication Officer
| An exchange program was held between Central and South America and East Asia for six days from July 5-11. The aim of the program was to exchange experiences of different situations, to seek better options through sharing and to promote solidarity as a way to resolve difficult problems. Maquila Solidarity Network, Asia Monitor Resource Center, and KWWAU organized the program. In the program, delegates from El Salvador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Canada spent two days in Korea from July 5-6. They visited various organizations in Korea and held a roundtable meeting on July 6. Here I summarize the contents of the roundtable meeting. |
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The delegates shared information about the situations facing them in their own countries. Delegates from all countries reported that women workers suffer from exploitation, sexual abuse, additional burdens of housework, low wages, long working hours, and insecure conditions of employment. Most of the delegates work in a Free Trade Zone, and they explored the repressive and cruel attitudes of Korean companies in their countries. The Korean companies there are operating workplaces akin to those found in the 1970s in Korea. They are paying low wages for long working hours. They are also inflicting violence and sexual abuse, and are destroying the environment. Furthermore, the companies simply close workplaces and move out if they are held to account for the unjust conditions. In this case the workers lose their jobs and have no way to appeal. ● Unequal wages, unequal promotional opportunities, and violence Cecilia Espinoza from Mexico talked first. She belongs to the Catholic Workers' Federation (JOC) and works in a Free Trade Zone. There are 98,000 workers employed in the FTZ and 97% of all workers are employed in the FTZ near the American border. The workplace in which Cecilia is employed is in Maquiladora. American companies own 38.4% of the area and 12.7% is owned jointly by Mexico and America. Recently the number of women workers is increasing and currently 35% of the workers are women. Most of them are working on an irregular basis. In terms of wages and employment opportunities they face unequal conditions, and they are now planning to appeal for a system of equal wages to be made compulsory in the Labor Law. The most dangerous problem is that of the violence inflicted on the women workers. In this country many women face domestic abuse and over a hundred women have been kidnapped. There have been strong demands made to the government for measures to protect citizens and particularly women but the government has kept silent. Women often start working from the age of twelve, and excessive overtime work and the lack of education have become serious problems. The satellite town has grown and the city population is now over capacity. About a hundred families move to the city every day, mainly to find jobs or to attempt illegal emigration to America. Early marriages, unmarried mothers, prostitution, and so on, are increasing. ● Adverse effects of the legislation supposed to protect women
The organizations near the boundary provide education programs to assist the worker struggle, organize workers, and improve the lives of women workers. Her organization has worked for the establishment of an independent trade union for a few years, but they have not yet been able to set it up. There have been several instances of kidnapping and massive dismissals after attempts to establish an independent trade union. In Mexico, there is no law restricting gender discrimination, and her organization has campaigned for it. The women workers are entitled to two months maternity leave but it is unpaid. Gender equality is manifested in the National Law but is not being implemented in concrete measures or further regulations. Pregnant women are supposed to be paid but this legislation, meant to protect pregnant women, in fact is used against them: companies choose male workers over female workers. Now the number of women workers is decreasing. The legislation to protect pregnant women has resulted in the decrease of female workers' employment. The employers have dismissed pregnant women on the grounds that they cannot cope with full work loads or that they are more likely to suffer industrial accidents. ● The minimum cost of living is $286 but the average wage is $144 Marina Rios from El Salvador talked about the general situation in her country and particularly the situation confronting the women workers of her country. There have been conflicts and riots in El Salvador for more than twelve years and the women workers have realized the need to organize. Marina and her organization have conducted various activities: education for women, mobilization of political participation by women, health and anti-violence campaigns, economic and social development programs, and so on. Since 1996 they have struggled beside women workers in the Free Trade Zone and have succeeded in amending the contents of the law in relation to women's issues. Campaigning for the amendment of the law, they realized that the most important thing is the organization of women workers. The situation facing women workers is very similar to that in Guatemala. According to the research, 70% of women workers are married and 80% of them are aged between 16 and 35 years old. Their average wage is $144 per month - much lower than the minimum cost of living which is $286. There are six Free Trade Zones in which about 240 companies are located. The companies have exploited workers with psychological and physical abuse, unfair dismissals, lack of retirement allowances, and so on, and the labor movement has declined. |
Marina attended a roundtable meeting two weeks before she came to Korea and in the meeting discussed the effects of the flexibilization of the labor market on women workers. The participants of the meeting pointed out the problem of the decrease of employment opportunities for women workers due to the flexibilization of working hours, and wages that can be decided by the company alone. In her country, men and women workers are now preparing to struggle to expose the actual effects of flexibilization. ● Women workers themselves should be aware of their own problems Magali Pineda from the Dominican Republic also talked about the problems in the Free Trade Zones in her country, which are comparable to those in Korea in the 1970s. Working conditions are very bad and 80% of workers are women. They are not organized and it is difficult for them to do so. The majority of them are aged between 20 and 35 and many of them are married, or are unmarried mothers. The reason for the high incidence of unmarried mothers is that many women have affairs with men due to the stress suffered in the workplace and to escape the difficulties faced in life. Of the women in the Caribbean Sea and Central and South America, 35% are responsible for their families due to the absence or violent tendencies of their husbands. In these circumstances, women are actually getting stronger. From 1975 to 1984, the Free Trade Zones had made gradual development. There are three FTZs where about 35,000 women workers are employed. The Labor Law mainly supports employers. They can easily dismiss workers legally. The suppression of workers who campaign for the organization of unions is very severe, and the existing trade union is very weak. Furthermore, the existing union is very much male-oriented and there is no forum for the particular problems facing women workers. Most of the unions never acknowledge the housework undertaken by women. Magali insisted that not only those in the workplace but society as a whole should pay more attention to the problems facing women, and that women themselves should become more aware of their own problems. In the FTZ, where Magali is working, there are 17 trade unions and only nine of them had negotiated with companies. In Dominica there are 32 FTZs with about 500 workplaces. About 200,000 workers are employed there. ● The most exploitive workplaces are owned by Korean companies The stories about the Korean companies made us so angry. According to Magali, Korea and Taiwan have set up workplaces since 1984. As is the case in Guatemala and Honduras, Korean companies have run workplaces in totalitarian ways. Korean companies have forced employees to work overtime, committed sexual abuse, and destroyed the environment. If protests are made, Korean companies often say that these conditions are accepted in Korea and should be accepted there. They often add that these complaints arise through cultural differences and misunderstandings. Korea is the third top investor country in El Salvador. Marina, from El Salvador, also said that Korean companies are the most exploitative and always respond to protests by saying that everything is due to cultural differences. However the companies are fully aware of the struggle of the workers in Korea. Angelica had made demands to the Korean NGOs, whom she hoped would continue to monitor and supervise the situation. She and her organization are working for one American company. They are well-informed about the company and that gives them better leverage to formulate countermeasures against unjust working conditions. However, they have little information about Korean companies, and would feel better prepared to combat workplace injustices if they could obtain more. ● Urgent need for common understanding and solidarity The delegates have campaigned actively in their countries under difficult conditions. Since Asian countries have conducted export-oriented economic policies, every country has set up Free Trade Zones and the governments have promised not to allow unions to be set up in order to encourage foreign companies into their countries. This has resulted in serious problems of low wages, exploitation of labor, and human rights violations. Korean companies in particular are infamous. Their conduct creates problems for women workers in many countries. International solidarity is urgently needed. The importance of this exchange program has been established. |
Angelica Corales is a militant working in the FTZ. The group to which she belongs is organizing and providing education for women workers. It has worked in five small cities.