Do you remember, 88CC?They have lit up the torch of their struggle.

<Do you remember, 88CC? They have lit up the torch of their struggle.>

 

In 2008, 53 union members working at 88 Country Club (88CC) received unlimited job reservation, and 3 union executives fired.

In 2003, workers of 88CC finally renewed collective agreement after the 48 day struggle in the face of shop closure.

In 1999, golf caddies fought against and improved the retirement policy at age of 40.

In 1999, 88CC trade union branch of KWTU was established.

 

In June 2008, as soon as the regime was changed, the directors and the field manager of the 88 Country Club under the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs were changed, as well.  On October 10, the government decided to privatize the 88 Country Club as part of privatization of public corporations. In the course, women workers of 88 Country Club union branch belonging to the KWTU was recognized not as workers but as specially hired workers, suppressing the trade union.

• On August 8, the management collected all of the remote controls of golf carts using an excuse of security measure of the carts and forced workers to write pledges. 

• On September 9, although rules regarding caddies should be made through the agreement with the trade union, the management tried to change the rules unilaterally.

• On September 19, it is customary that the management agrees with the laborer in regard to personnel recruitment, the company made a top-down announcement of the recruitment of 20 people.  It declared that new human resources will be used to tame the trade union.

• On September 22, a customer lodged a protest to the president of the company against the rudeness of the field manager, but instead he imposed indefinite suspension on a golf caddies who had helped the game. In protest, union members conducted 3 hour picketing and wrote appeals on the homepage of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and furthermore, the suspended union member undertook one person demonstration in front of the Ministry.  After all, on September 24, 2008, the company fired the union member using an excuse of defamation.

• On November 5 ~9, 35 unionists and on November 26, 16 union members received indefinite reservations, which actually means dismissals, using the excuse of defamation of the company.

• as of January 2009, the company imposed unlimited reservation on 53 unionists of 88 CC and fired 3 union executives.

 

The 88 CC union branch of the KWTU has taken a variety of legal action: especially, dismissed union members have had one person demonstration in front of the Ministry since November 10, 2008, and organized every Monday assembly since November 24. In addition, the 53 reserved union members and the 3 dismissed unionists dividing its members into several teams have played different roles: livelihood support team, assembly organizing team, and the team visiting the related authorities and assembly members.  Those unionists still working at the 88cc also have sent 2/5 of their wages as livelihood supports and been very busy writing appeals on the homepage of the Ministry.

 

KWWA also supported 88cc workers’ struggle joining the Monday assembly on January 12, 2009.

 

88CC workers’ struggle is so important that it is the past, present and future to the Korean women workers.  The workers show many realities of the Korean women workers like mirrors: specially hired women workers who are not recognized as workers; indirectly hired workers by outsourcing agencies, and the issue of guaranteeing job security of indirectly hired workers in the course of privatization.  Their victories are my victory and further the victories of the Korean women workers. I give big claps on them, hoping they can survive in this severely harsh period.