Don’t be discouraged because you have struggled for one year. We have struggled for 25 years.

Don’t be discouraged because you have struggled for one year.  We have struggled for 25 years.

 

On September 24, 2009, it became a year after 88CC golf caddies started their strike. In front of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair, golf caddies got together, showing “We want to work,” and women and/or labor activists joined them. The press conference and the struggle resolution rally, organized by Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) on that day, were to withdraw unfair dismissals of the golf caddies and to demand on their prompt reinstatement.

 

88 Country Club (88CC), a company entrusted by the Ministry has continued its unfair labor practices suppressing legal golf caddies’ trade union since past June, 2008. In September, 2008, the company dismissed a union member and decided the unlimited job suspensions of 53 unionists. Moreover, the company has dismissed 58 women workers including 3 union executives and decided the unlimited job suspensions of two union members even in 2009. During the past fall, winter, spring, summer, and this fall again, the golf caddies have continued their struggles for their rights to survive so far at the 88CC, in front of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair, in streets, in the court, and at the labor offices. However, the company and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair still turn their deaf ears to the women workers.

 

Park Sun-hee, vice president of 70s' Democratic Workers' Association who gave an incentive speech, stressed “it is from the labor that is the strongest power to change the world,” and cried in a voice of thunder, “an advanced nation does not make a big flower garden at the Kwangwhamoon Gate nor people in the country can just buy snacks. It is a real advanced country whose government respect working people, and protect their rights to survive.” In addition, she also comforted sorrowful and difficult 88CC golf caddies, saying “Don’t be discouraged because you have struggled for one year. We have struggled for 25 years.”  She was dismissed from Wonpoong Woolen Textile in the 1970s, but she was judged to be reinstated in 2003.

 

Kim Eun-sook, branch union president who is on unlimited hunger strike for 11 days stated “We can’t find minimum common sense that we had believed at any place,” and showed her strong will, saying “We will try to find our way by our own hands if there is no way.”  After the rally, chairpersons of women’s organizations headed for the Ministry to hand in their written opinions. After wrestling with policemen and officials of the Ministry, the rally was ended in showing the opinions to but the secretary-general not the Minister.  The Minister had refused the interviews with women’s organizations twice in the first half of this year.