Women's press conference to demand to stop repression on labor unions, and to settle down irregular workers' issues and layout issues

 

 

Women's press conference to demand to stop repression on labor unions, and to settle down irregular workers' issues and layout issues

 

Many workers have killed themselves in succession, including Martyr Choi Kangseoh of the Hanjin Heavy Industry, belonging to the Metal Union, deceased Martyr Lee Un-nam, former head of the Organization Dept. of In-company Outsourcing company branch of the Hyundai Heavy Industry, Martyr Lee Ho-il, branch president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, belonging to Korean University Workers' Union, and deceased Martyr Lee Ki-yoen, chief branch president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, belonging to Korean University Workers' Union. Furthermore, workers of Hyundai Motors, Ssangyong Motors, and You-seong are on strike at dangerous steel towers in this cold winter to tackle their problems. In addition, many women workers have continued their struggles, including Jae-nung agency private tutors and 88CC gold caddies having been on strike for 5 years, both, and Golden Bridge Securities workers who have been struggling for their issues for more than 200 days.

 

As her pledge, President-elect Park Keun-hyu promised that she will make Korea the society in which women are happy, stressing that she is 'a all-prepared woman president.' She also imparted to Korean people, her hopeful message that she would lead her government on the ground of principles of unity and people's livelihood. However, in spite of consecutive death of workers, she didn't mention any women workers' issues on strike at all. Women workers account for more than 70% of irregular workers, and most of them receive less than the minimum wage or their rights to work are not recognized. Park Keun-hye as a president-elect must reveal her alternatives for making women really happy.

 

In order to address the current problems, we, Korean women carried out a press conference at the Kwang-hwa-moon Square and demanded Park Keun-hye to express her regret at these deaths and make her countermeasures to workers' issues, as well as her policies for women workers.

 

[Women's Press Release]

President-elect Park Keun-hye, don't ignore workers' cries for their basic rights to survive!

At the beginning of the year of 2013, the Korean society is in grief, because workers in succession killed themselves. Their deaths are so depressing since the workers tried hard to survive in the tough world. The diseased workers tried hard to struggle a lot at the streets, steel towers and underpasses.

However, they were suppressed by the haves who filed suits to demand the workers to pay an unbelievably large amount of 15.8 billion Won. Irregular workers of the Hyundai Motors, those of Ssangyong Motors and Yusung workers all climbed up and went on strike at steel towers and underpasses to survive. Jaeneung agency private tutors and 88CC golf caddies have been on strike for 5 years. So many workers of other 30 companies are also striking.

Park Keun-hye stressed people's livelihood and unity, insisting that she is an 'all-prepared woman president.' Additionally, she promised to settle down the issue of the Ssangyong Motors through national investigation when she was a presidential candidate. However, she hasn't mentioned the dying and deceased workers at all. She talked over tea with the heads of Jaebols and just asked them to refrain from laying out workers. Kim Seong-tae, a national assembly member and secretary of the Hanara Party stated that workers should have hopes, not making rash decision on her.

Park Keun-hye took negative view on the court's decision on illegal outsourcing, when she was a presidential candidate. She didn't see illegal outsourced companies as being closed, despite the closure of illegal despatched and/ or outsourced companies stipulated according to Clause No. 19 of the Act on the Protection of Dispatched Workers. She hasn't made any comment on the summon of Jung Monggoo, owner of the Hyundai Motors and the mother company which is responsible for the illegal outsourcing. What is worse, she is clearly against a hearing and a national investigation on the illegal outsourcing. Furthermore, as a presidential candidate, she made her pledge to persist with the poor act even though it allows for illegal outsourcing. Her action is seen as too hopeless.

Park Keun-hye declared openly that she would made Korea a society in which women are happy.

 

However, women workers are mostly irregular workers, and many of them are part-timers. Park Keun-hye didn't reply to the problems of the women workers who receive less than the minimum wage, and whose rights to work are not recognized. Rather, she made the worst answer that she would increase part-time jobs. Most of specially hired workers are women, but Park Keun-hye doesn't recognize their three basic labor rights. Instead, she clearly ignored the striking specially hired workers in front of the headquarters of the Saenuri Party when she was a presidential candidate.

No, we, Korean women demands the woman president to reply to the current situations. Park Keun-hye should not ignore the labor issues such as regular layouts, oppressions on labor union activities, illegal outsourcing and irregular workers' issues and the dying workers who like to live.

 

* Park Keun-hye must express her regret at the consecutive deaths of workers, and take countermeasures.

* Park Keun-hye must settle down layouts and illegal outsourcing related issues.

* Park Keun-hye must make a immediate national investigations on illegal outsourcing in the Ssangyong Motors and the Hyundai Motors.

* Park Keun-hye must take proactive action in withdrawing compensation and provisional seizures against workers and tackling the labor union suppressions.

* Park Keun-hye must protect the three basic rights of specially hired workers and irregular workers' issues.

 

January 3, 2013