By the way, when l visited his working place where the strike is going on, t could not help watching my husband's face with sadness. The work place is along the railroad from Yongsan Subway Station. I could just hear the noises from the train and subway, and 100k them which queue up waiting for its repairing.

Now t understand why he has hardness of hearing after 4 years since the train engineers are 24 hours shift working, he comes home every two day. There is no Sunday. When people enjoy their holiday, he is much busier than other days. We are always in panic. Besides, after dinner at 5 o'clock, there is no further meal served, so he has an instant noodle or just endure the hunger until he comes back home at lO~11 o'clock next morning. It means only two meals per day.

The Police arrest Workers before strike

When the workers family got together, we have shared more or 1ess similar stories, Especially, drivers' family appealed the hardness of irregular working schedule.

The husbands' demands were just simple No wage-increase! Just a little improvement of working conditions in order to have normal family living. The demands were 8 hours working in a day, one day off per week. However they were ignored and the husbands were put into jai1.

The railway workers stt the D-day, 27th, to have enough negotiating time, but the workers were arrested by the police even 4 days before the D-day. The police caught even off_ day workers who are scheduled to work next day.

So it became a strike. During the negotiation period, the Railway Department didn't join at the collective bargaining.
We, families, appealed to release the husbands and to have a talk. But the Railway Department and the government insisted on their illegal strike. At last, the police arrested the families who were on demonstration against the arrest in front of Kuro Railway station.

The government and other prominent people said that if the workers return to work, then they will have a talk to the workers. So, we tried to persuade the husbands, but the result was further arresting workers.

The families' appeal was turned away

On June 23rd, about 400 railway workers including my husband went to the Christian Center to ask the pastors to mediate such situation. However, at three o'clock on Sunday, 26th the police were thrown into the Center to make a mess there and arrest the husbands, How was it possible that the presbyter, President made such a decision to invade during worship. It has never been invade before even in the military regime.

Nevertheless, the massmedia has no concerns about our appeals, they broadcasted repeatedly 'everything became all right', there was no further news about our case. We, families walked and ran to appeal our demands.

We organized the Railway Workers Family Council, and sent our appeal letter to President, Cardinal Kim Su_hwan and other organizations. We visited the Railway Department for asking them to postpone the punishment against the husbands, and for appealing the husbands ' innocence.

While we visited them, we realized that the bureaucratized Railway Department and government are not our side. An we understood the husbands who couldn't have any opportunity on having negotiation.

Now, the leaders' committee is standing at the Jogye Temple to urge the workers ' innocence. In the Department. the disciplinary action against the workers has been going on, all of us are uneasy about what they are. Some workers who were canceled their position are cleaning window or garden, and writing a self-reflection paper by force. Although the arrested workers ' family have a regular meeting to spread its reality, however they faced to hardness of living. Through these kinds of activities, We've got love and friendship among us. And we will never forget lots of solidarity and love from the concerned people.

When this letter is published in this newsletter, I'm not sure situation will be changed. I just hope all the arrested workers will be released, and all the punished workers will be reinstated. And l hope they will have a serious and reasonable negotiation about the