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2009.2.19 No.8 | ||
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<KWWA’s 17th General Assembly> | ||
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Before the general assembly, a lecture on the political situation was delivered: An economic critic, Jung Tae-in gave a lecture on the topic of ‘the financial crisis in the USAand alternatives.’ He talked about the causes of the financial crisis triggered in the USA and the states of the international economical recession very easily. The lecture was so lively and heated that activists asked a lot of questions after the lecture.
In this general assembly, KWWA’s new directors were appointed. Jeong Moon Ja (ex-chairperson of the IWWA) was selected as a new chairperson, Park Nam-hee (president of KWTU) and Kim Young-sook (chairperson of the DWWA) as vice chairpersons, and Joo Kyeong-mi (chairperson of the GWWA) and lawyer Choi Seong-ho as audits. more>> |
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<We are sad, sad and sad (at the spot of the Yongsan disaster)> | ||
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On January 22, 2009, ‘Women feeling sad and angry at the Yongsan disaster’ had a memorial service to pray for the happiness of the victims in other world at the spot where people burnt incenses and bowed twice (to look back the deceased with affection). Because they could get news only through mass media for the last 3 days, 30 women or so were so desperate and outraged that they dashed to the spot with one breath. We are sad, sad and sad…. We are those who are gathered to mourn and memorize the victims of the Yongsan fire disaster. One lady living in Ssangmoon-dong (more than one hour away) said “When I went to market, I was so surprised at the news that I dashed to here. It is nonsense to use severe violence against those who are marginalized,” shedding and wiping tears. A woman labor activist, Hahn Myeonghee demanded to dismiss and arrest the designate Police chief, Kim Seokki, saying “the police killed innocent civilians four times: Since the police did not provide proper demolition they kill the innocent people once; since the police took irrational repressive measures, they kill them twice; since the police took their body away, they killed them three times; since the police performed autopsies on the innocent people without any agreement from their family, they killed them four times.”
A chairperson of Korean Women’s Associations United (KWAU), Park Young-mi asked strongly “The government said that even one rich person should not be victimized due to the comprehensive real estate taxes, but is it okay to ignore the rights of lessees and kill them?” and claimed “unbiased and impartial people should form a new fact-finding committee, because we can’t trust the investigation by Korean prosecutors.” more>> |
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<Do you remember, 88CC? They have lit up the torch of their struggle.> | ||
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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.more>> |
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<"Do you want us to really give up our meal costs?” – We oppose to the retrogressive revision of the minimum wage law!: denouncing press conference by the women labor circle> | ||
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<Opposed to the retrogressive minimum wage law!: denouncing press conference by the women labor circle; “Do you want us to really give up our meal costs?” > 1. Date and venue: December 3, 2008, at 11am/ in front of the Grand National Party building 2. Organized by the KWWA, KWTU, Korean Womenlink, and KWAU
On November 18, 2008, Kim Seong-jo (and other 30 national assembly members) belonging to the Grand National Party suggested the retrogressive revision of the minimum wage law. The major suggests are as follows: ▶ Deducting meal costs and accommodation fees from wages; ▶ Extending the probation period from 3 months to 6 months; ▶ Applying reduced minimum wage to the elderly at their ages of more than 60; ▶ Introducing different minimum wage systems by region; ▶ Making decisions by members of public interests belonging to the Labor Relations Commission when the suggested minimum wage is not decided by deadline.
The minimum wage is the only legal shield to help low wage workers especially irregular women workers to maintain their minimum cost of living, and also an essential legal mechanism to end serious socio-economic polarization and to protect vulnerable classes amidst the current economic crisis.more>> |
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<Workshop for looking back the Korean women workers’ movement and seeking for alternative women workers’ movement> | ||
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On November 5, 2008, we at the Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) held a workshop for looking back the Korean women workers’ movement and seeking for an alternative women workers’ movement. In this workshop, why and how the alternative women workers’ movement had been launched was discussed based on the evaluation of our 20 year activities. The workshop was prepared by our internal small research group, ‘research team for enhancing high quality alternative women workers’ movement despite earning less’ who studied for the past 8 months. Based on their discussion, they presented ‘the necessity for propelling an alternative women workers’ movement and finding the ways’ (Lim Youn Ok from the KWWA, and Kang Yangmi from the SWWA) and had a good chance to discuss with other KWWA’s nationwide staff persons. more>> |
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<Briefing session regarding 3 year project of childcare workers | ||
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About 160 people including childcare workers, beneficiary families and children from 6 regions (Seoul, Incheon, Daegu, Pusan, Kwangju and Jeonju) participated in the events.
The childcare worker dispatching project for low income groups was undertaken by KWWA’s 6 regional organizations under the sponsorship of Community Chest of Korea for 3 years between November 1, 2005 and October 31, 2008. Service suppliers are vulnerable unemployed women. After each of these 30 women selected by each regional organizations, received the total number of 144 hour vocational training, they were sent to low income families.
Families whose children are disabled children and infants, among householders earning less than 60% of average monthly wages of the urban working, took priorities as the service beneficiary.more>> |
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