"We will stop salts and enzymes. We will refuse taking emergency measures and being hospitalized."  

<63 day hunger strike by Giryung Electronics workers. "This is only way we can carry out our struggles".>

"From now on, we will stop having salts and enzymes. We don't know how long we can stand, but we will continue until the moment when the Giryung Electronics will make a good decision for workers. Although we go down, we will refuse taking emergency measures and being hospitalized."

KIM Soyoun and YU Heunghee unionists on hunger strikes in the tent on the rooftop of the company refused interviews. But around 11am during a press conference, they sent a letter. As soon as participants looked at the letter, they were agitated and unsettled. That's because it showed their firm determination that they would stop having salts and enzymes, and further would refuse taking emergency measures and being hospitalized.

They also wrote "We are so sorry that we make you worrying. Last night when thunder stroke and a lot of rains fell, we discussed and found the only way to struggle is this." With the humble bow, all the participants knew what they meant.

LEE Sang-yun, a policy board member of the Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR) stated that to stop having salts and enzymes mean "they have decided to die honorably. Medically, they cannot stand more than one day even in a normal case. At most, they can't stand more than 2~3 days." He also said "they have already lost over 20% out of their normal weights. They are already in great danger. Medically it is very difficult. Their minds over their bodies are standing." His voice was shaking while he was making a statement.

In addition, he said "Even medical practitioners cannot stop them from hurting themselves with their political consciences and wills. They through their weak bodies are facing against extreme savageness and irrationality of our society."

They have been carrying out struggles for 1085 days and been on 63 day hunger strikes. To help the long struggle that ordinary people cannot imagine, civil organizations came together and urged the company and the government to settle this matter. In front of Giryung Electronics, Gasan-dong, Seoul, at 10:30am on August 12, civil organizations including People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), Action, and Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR) organized a press conference. They hung a placard at the back of the press conference showing 'Will you drive irregular Giryung workers to death?' 

Around 50 unionists and civil organizations carried out picketing saying 'Workers are dying. Abolish irregular employment,' and 'Will you really drive irregular workers to death." to urge the company to make a good decision.

KIM Youngmin, secretary general of PSPD mentioned "I am so sorry I am very late. We will put our efforts to settle this matter. I feel the strong urgency that we should not let them die, and so I am here." and encouraged the unionists saying "Be alive and let's struggle together."

The company has insisted that there should be no place for striking unionists to work in because there are no production facilities including outsourcing. However, YOON Jonghee, a unionist said "our unionists confirm that a factory equipped with satellite radio production lines is in operation in Siheung city."

She also commented "We will bury the company's deception with our deaths. We want to live like humans. Abolish irregular employment and it can only stop our hunger strikes." and said "the company has repeated 'it will help us to find jobs in the other companies.' But if we simply needed jobs, we would not continue such a long struggle."

JO Youngsoon from Lawyers for Democratic Society said "I think democracy in Korea has died." and questioned "How can we tell democracy when workers receive only 640,000 Won?"  He also highlighted "The Act on the Protection of Fixed-term and Part-time Employees is but to produce irregular employment not to protect irregular workers," and condemned the government and politics, saying "This matter related to Giryung Electronics' workers  is a problem of ours and our future."

PARK Youngmi, a co-chairperson of Korean Women’s Associations United and KIM Hansung, chairperson of Korean Professors Union insisted "We should save workers in great danger, whose lives require prompt treatment." urging the company to "make sincere negotiations" and the government and the congress to "make active and fair arbitrations."

LEE Junghee, a congress woman belonging to the Democratic Labor Party and the people involved in the Seoul municipal partition of the party have also been on 9 day hunger strikes in support of them.  Further, students belonging to the Hankiyeon plan to carry out co-hunger strikes near the City Hall and the Seoul Station.

 

Workshop for counselors of Hotline for Equality: problems and improvement tasks of discrimination correcting systems related to Temporary Employment Protection Act

One year has been passed since the Temporary Employment Protection Act was put into force. The previous government mentioned to regulate discriminations against irregular workers, focusing on discrimination when the Act was enacted. Lee Myeong Bak government also declared to expand the number of irregular workers to achieve flexible employment, and solve related all kinds of problems through discrimination correcting systems. Discrimination correcting systems are viewed like a panacea for measurement for irregular employment. However, the discrimination correcting system has had many problems for one year.

Hereupon, counselors of the Hotline for Equality looked at problems regarding discrimination correcting policies for irregular workers, and probed for alternatives of discrimination correcting systems.  Labor lawyer, Park Jooyoung analyzed detailed cases regarding discrimination against irregular workers, brought before local labor relations commissions and national labor relations commission in charge of deciding discrimination correcting matters, pointed out the problems and suggested how to improve them. Currently, only one case has been considered as a discrimination correcting case, and in other cases their discrimination correction applications have been rejected at the cost of job security. Mr. Park mentioned that discrimination is not corrected nor exchanged for job security in the other cases, but all of them are deteriorated and compensated for money at the cost of job discontinuity.

Mr. Park Jooyoung broached discrimination correcting system for discussion as follows: ① Labor relations commissions examine if a party involved is appropriate in a case brought before the commissions. What is a problem is that the party involved is not considered as an irregular discrimination correcting applicant but a regular worker if fixing an employment term is viewed just as formal. However, there are many obstacles that applicants have to overcome. ② It is not easy to find a regular worker who can be compared with the applicants. That's because it is very hard for just a irregular workers to gain detailed wage levels earned by regular workers who do the same job. Nevertheless, labor relations commissions demand applicants to show one specific example of a regular worker for comparison, and applicants have to show comparison target until labor relations commissions decide if the comparison target is appropriate and they are satisfied ③ judgment standards by the commissions are quite formal and limited even though detailed comparison targets with regular workers are set up. The commission decides if there is discrimination through focusing on discrimination rather than if there is similarity through finding how similar two jobs are.  In the process, since workplaces investigation by examiners is quite formal, formal documents are more influential than actual tasks in deciding if there is discrimination. 

Mr. Park Jooyoung highlighted there are following procedural problems and  improvements on these are urgently needed in relation to discrimination correcting applications submitted to labor relations commissions: ① the problem that discrimination correction is called for to only individual workers ② individual workers are forced to provide comparison targets ③ the roles of examiners and problems of insufficient workplaces investigation ④ forced mediation or rejection of mediation applications by applicants ⑤ Exclusion from labor and/ or user-side commissioners in discrimination mediation meetings ⑥ the problems of fulfillment and effectiveness of discrimination correcting orders. 

Counselors of the Hotline for Equality had a good time to grasp what should be changed through looking at discrimination correcting situations of irregular workers in this workshop.

 

Symposium held: "In order to consolidate the effectiveness of correcting discrimination related to Temporary Employee Protection Act, at the point of its enforcement for 1 year"

There are gender differences in discrimination correcting effectiveness for temporary workers.

"Deregulation policies" raised worries at the time when the government emphasizes its enforcement.

 by Park Hee-Jung[from Feminist Journal, Ilda]

The Temporary Employee Protection Act was put in force and measures on irregular workers in the public sector were taken. However, it is difficult to have a pink prospect in relation to its discrimination-correcting effectiveness for irregular  workers.

For one year since the enforcement of the Temporary Employment Protection Act, there have been a decreasing number of overall irregular workers. However, the composition of irregular employment is deemed to be worsening, because there have been a higher number of workers whose working conditions are relatively worse amongst irregular workers. What is worse is that there are distinct gender differences in the decreasing number of irregular workers.

Under this condition, worries about irregular workers have been raised, as the government has focused on "deregulation" including privatization of state-owned enterprises, in terms of labor policies and economic policies.

A higher number of irregular workers with worsening working conditions and increasing wage gaps

On July 8, 2008, Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) and Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) jointly hosted a symposium titled "In order to consolidate the effectiveness of correcting discrimination related to Temporary Employee Protection Act, at the point of its enforcement for 1 year."  In the symposium, researcher Eun Soo-Mi (belonging to the Korea Labor Institute) presented her analysis of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Temporary Employment Protection Act.

Researcher Eun mentioned that the number of fix-term workers decreased by 321,000 persons, and dispatched workers by 3,000 persons in 2008 compared to the same month of the last year, but expressed her opinion that the irregular employment composition has been possibly worsening due to the enforcement of the Temporary Employment Protection Act, because there were all increases in the number of 'the temporary workers with relatively worsening working conditions who are not expected to continue working,' outsourced and subcontracted workers, and day workers."

In particular, while the number of male workers was decreased by 125,000 persons (-4.2%), there was a decrease in the number of women workers by 10,000 persons (-0.4%) in relation to irregular workers by gender, which there was a clear gender gap. Women workers obtained similar decreases in the number of fixed workers, compared to male workers. However, in the case of workers whose contracts are repeatedly renewed and short-term workers, while there was a decline in the number of male workers by 72,000 persons (-14.5%), the number of women workers grew by 0.1%.

Researcher Eun stressed that constant follow-up surveys are needed in the case of short-term employment, since the decreased number of short-term workers was reversed and increasing.

It was found that 'wage gap' which is an essential issue in relation to discrimination against irregular workers is wider. While the size and percentage of fix-term workers and those whose contracts are repeatedly renewed was declined, there were their growing wage gaps with regular workers. 

"No" government policies for irregular workers and working poor people

Researcher Eun raised her concerns about possibly "more negative impacts" on irregular workers since "Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Ministry of Labor in a row formed teams exclusive responsible for deregulation" in the tough situation in which the enforcement of the Temporary Employment Protection Act has had limited effects.

Recently Lee Myungbak regime has focused on "deregulation" in terms of economic policies and labor policies, both. This stirs up criticism on "no active measures for irregular workers and the working poor placed in blind spots."

Researcher Eun emphasized the role of the government, saying "irregular workers are put in difficult circumstances in which their issues cannot be solved through self-regulations between the labor and the capital nor constitutional governance," "if we consider the fact that there have been a higher number of workplaces where irregular workers are on strike" such as Kiryoong Electronics, New Core, Koscom, and KTX, and that "the number of day when no work is carried out has increased 2.8 times higher in 2008 than last year."

Researcher Eun stressed that "it is the time when it is needed to monitor the enforcement of the Temporary Employment Protection Act and its problems incurred, and when required is severe evaluation of how to operate discrimination correcting and decreasing systems.

Especially, she also highlighted that current situations about indirect employment and low wage market should be investigated, and that monitoring focusing on specific employment types including day employment, short-term employment, outsourced employment, and part-time employment as well as women irregular employment should be carried out.

2008/07/15 [11:12] ⓒ www.ildaro.com

(quoted from: http://www.ildaro.com/sub_read.html?uid=4500§ion=sc2§ion2=)

 

2nd Labor Forum held: "How to obtain equal pay for work of equal value legally"

Subsequently after addressing equal pay for work of equal value enhancing systems in the US and UK in the 1st forum, on July 3, 2008, the 2nd Labor Forum looked at "how to obtain equal pay for work of equal value legally."

Professor Kim Ellim (working for Korea National Open University) brought up  topics for discussion about legal history of equal pay for work of equal value stipulated in the Equal Employment Act; equal pay for work of equal value stipulated in international conventions; related regulations and precedents in major foreign countries; and related regulations and precedents in Korea. 1989 marked for the first time when the principle of equal pay for work of equal value was stipulated. However, there are no detailed regulations or guidelines to put the principle in force, and it is just an established rule that government officers in charge refer to for their fulfillment. The established rule has not been amended yet. In 1999 the first case (a lawsuit instituted by cleaners working at the Yonsei University) regarding equal pay for work of equal value was brought before the court, but they failed. In 2003, it was the first time when gender discrimination was admitted to be socially prevalent, bottomed upon the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. Professor Kim evaluated disputes and future tasks regarding standards of equal pay for work of equal value and its application methods have been generated, since the 2003's precedent did not carry out job evaluation method neither provided detailed analysis basis in terms of judging equal pay for work of equal value.

In addition, Professor Kim suggested a guideline for the application of equal pay for work of equal value. In the US and EU where equal pay for work of equal value are actively carried out, guidelines and handbooks regarding the principle are well-prepared to consolidate its effectiveness. However, in the Korean society, only the Equal Employment Act regulating the principle of equal pay for work of equal value exists, not its detailed regulations nor guidelines. Therefore, essential and necessary are independent guidelines to make detailed application of the principle in Korea.

Amid the tough situation in which women irregular workers account for 70% out of all women workers, a participant pointed out the limitation of the equal pay for work of equal value related regulation, because there is the decreasing number of male workers 'in the same workplaces,' who can be compared with women workers in practice. Professor Kim answered that gradual enforcement of the principle is needed because the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is not kept nor raised in applying the principle to similar jobs where the principle should have been originally put in force. However, she also mentioned we should consider job evaluation based on seniority rather than emphasizing only class of workers' positions.

The 2nd Labor Forum was a primary source of our looking at the present situation in relation to equal pay for work of equal value, and offered a good opportunity for us to investigate what we at KWWA should do in this tough present situation.

July 5~6, 2008, a workshop for executives of Hope Center to Abolish Poverty and Increase the Rights of Women Workers (HCAPIRWW) was held, entitled "When I grow up, our HCAIRWW grow up, too."  In this year 123 executives joined together across the nation, which is a higher than the number of participants last year.

After making a brief introduction and showing entertaining skills by region, all the participants danced to the rhythm of "We can make" and then, regular programs were carried out. Firstly, Ha Jonggang, chairperson of Hanul Professional Law Corp. delivered a lecture about "Let's look at labor issues correctly in the Korean society." More easily and interestingly explained is about capitalism development process in Korea and how its special history (occupation by Japan, the Korean War and division, long-term authoritarianism, and insufficient winding up of the past) has affect the present Korean society and how much we have suffered from that, through a film and pictures. He stressed we should carry out the strong and hopeful Korean labor movement to create a better society amid severe polarization.

After that, people were classified into 4 groups - women single parents, care service workers, self-sufficiency promotion centers, and National Cooperative of House Managers (NCHM), and leadership-enhancing training was conducted by group. Above all, we played an ice-breaking game and self-introduction was made to break the ice between us. After activating meetings through group discussion and leaders' role enhancing participatory program were conducted, we summarized our tomorrow's presentations until 10:30pm even after dinner. After that, we gathered together and had a fun overnight by region including introducing regional activities that we could not because of a shortage of time, and learning rhythmic movements.

In the morning on July 6, 2008, we had the time to present our discussion by group. We made creative presentations of our discussions in the forms of changed words to popular tunes, performances, plays, and slogans, to deliver to each other, roles of executives, a variety of activities, wishful goals and hopes. After the presentation, we appreciated a film to help reflect on HCAPIRWW's activities during the last year. 

As a last program, Huh Byeong-sup, a president of Green College gave a lecture, titled "life-saving activities." He talked about what minds and attitudes we need to carry out activities as executives, giving indirect cuts of his life.

Like this, a 2 day long workshop for HCAPIRWW executives was completed. What has remained to us is that we should work hard in high spirits with regional members. In future we hope all HCAPIRWW executives can carry out vigorous and exciting activities.

 

women's campaign carried out on obtaining minimum wage of 1 million Won -"Without money people can't help eating US mad cow beef"

Women workers are making government officers with the mind of "Don't eat if you mind" eat US mad cow beef foods.

Date : at noon, 12th June, 2008
Where : in front of Dongwhat Duty Free Shop at Kwangwhatmoon
Organizers : Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU), Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA), and Korean Women's Associations United (KWAU)

Minimum wages have been increased little by little. In 2008, the minimum wage is set as 3,770 Won per hour and 787,930 Won a month by a standard of 40 hours. However, the initial minimum wage was so low that it has hardly been able to catch up with sharply increasing commodity prices.

In 2008 there were only 8.3% increase compared to a minimum wage of 727,930 Won (3,480 Won per hour) in 2007. Most cleaners receiving minimum wages are female householders, and so their incomes usually mean those by their whole families. Demands made by workers receiving a minimum wage are desperate and urgent. They say "I would have no more wishes if I receive 1 million Won," the wage that they can maintain their minimum livelihood.  Let's look at an example:

< detailed monthly expense by Shin He-jung (KWTU member, at age of 27,  a council tenant>
loan interest of council house    200,000원
transportation                       60,000원
house maintenance & management   50,000원
taxes                      33,000원
Internet broadband                   23,000원
mobile phone & telephone            36,740원
living expenses including food       136,557원

private medical insurance            65,703원
subscription savings deposit          50,000원
pocket money & cost for culture     40,000원
others & money in reserve          100,000원
-------------------------------------------------
total              795,000원

Very low minimum wages are not just the money matter itself. Employers do not want to pay the increases due to increased minimum wages. In the case of women workers working at Kyungpook National University Hospital under KWTU's Daegu & Kyungbuk region,  the hospital has not paid the unpaid, although it has received a court decision that it should pay the increase due to increased minimum wages. According to National Statistical Office, the number of 1,890,000 workers received less than the minimum wage in 2007 from 590,000 workers in 2001. The mere number of 11.9% out of the whole Korean workers, who received less than the minimum wage, shows very light punishment given by the government.

 US mad cow beef has stroke Korea hard.  She thought it would be better to buy far cheaper beef, because she cannot afford to buy beef. However, rich people or high ranking public officers will not buy the US beef which may be contaminated by mad cow diseases although it is cheap, but when she was told that only poor people would buy US beef, she was so furious that she joined candlelight demonstrations.

Her thought and emotion was performed in a play: "Without money people cannot help eating mad cow disease foods"

-- Women workers receiving minimum wages usually eat instant noodles or Korean ddukbokki. However, beef in the type of powder is usually added to these foods. Under the situations they may be affected by mad cow disease because of the importation of US beef. But, public officers in charge of the situation sit back and clasps their hands behind their back saying "Don't eat if you mind." Women workers who receive minimum wages demand to the government that minimum wages should be realized and US beef should be stopped from importing.

"Cannot help" song:
Without money people cannot help eating mad cow disease foods

If prices are rising people cannot help starving

If people can't live in this situation

Minimum wages should be increasing

If 2MB government is not good

People can't help fighting against him

Minimum wages should be increasing

 one person relay demonstration carried out for condemning violent police against candlelight demonstration and stepping down the police commander

 

Date : 10 am, June 6th 2008  - 5 pm, June 8th 2008
Where: In front of Seodaemoon Police Headquarters


Women's organizations such as Korean Women Workers Association, Korean Women's Associations United, Women Corea, Schoolbob, and Korean Womenlink demanded police commander Eu Cheongsoo should be stepped down and punish policemen in charge of violence against peaceful candlelight demonstrations.

In the one person relay demonstration carried out 3 days straight, a candlelight tower was set up and lit for 55 hours to express women's anger against and retirement of the police commander responsible for suppressive violence against peaceful demonstrations.

Jung Moon-ja vice president, Kimshin Heh-jung and Shin Myeongjin From KWWA, joined the 'one person relay demonstration' between 1pm ~5 pm on June 8th, 2008.

method to overcome neo-liberalism and their direction-groping workshop held

May 21th, a study team belonging to Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) conducted the 3rd workshop with the moderator Kang Soo Dol who is a professor and the head of Jochiwon Shin-an 1 ri for carrying out Korean women's movement that tries to improve the quality of life in spite of no good money. Professor Kang claimed "all people are busy making much money and enjoying good life, but we should realize uncomfortable truth. all cannot jump into the high class. Although they become in the high class, their richness and rights are generated by the low class." He told us about the background and history of neo-liberalism underlining "if we want to make a nearly perfect society escaping from the neo-liberalism only caring for winners, it is needed that we try to make round-table patterned neo-liberalism and characteristic standard." After this workshop, the study team shares the contents of white paper about alternative life presently under construction, which is an important way for an alternative life movement and think about how to conduct them.

Korean women workers' forum held for realizing equal pay for work of equal value and gender sensitive job evaluation

On May 7th, 2008,  Korean Women Workers Association(KWWA) and Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) organized the first Korean women workers' forum entitled "comparative analysis of wage discrimination  prevention systems in the U.S. and U.K. and their implications to Korea", in order to achieve equal pay for work of equal value and gender sensitive job evaluation (presented by professor Oh Kye Taek) at KWWA's seminar room. In this forum, U.S. and U.K.'s legal basis and operating organizations of equal pay for work of equal value, legal explanation and evaluation methods regarding equal pay for work of equal value.

In this forum, we at KWWA focused on the explanation of equal pay for work of equal value and job evaluation methods. In term of the explanation of equal pay for work of equal value, the U.S. does not view equal work not as the exactly same work but as "practically same work." In the U.K. equal work is seen as the same work or similar work. Both of the U.S. and U.K. use job evaluation as an very important tool. In the U.K. it is recommended the result of job evaluation, if the result is adequate enough. However, in the U.S. job details and interviews with employees are used to decide to equal work. But there is a room for employers' thought to be considered, according to the result of job evaluation. In conclusion the professor Oh claimed we should understand the limitation of job evaluation. Job evaluation is subjective because it decides how much people are paid, through assessing the value of work. If someone can control the processes of job evaluation, it means he can affect the result (about the value of work, wages and others). In the U.S. in the process of job evaluation it is recommended that different parties (including trade unions, representatives of workers, and/ or professionals) should take part in the job evaluation.

KWWA had a good time to think over how to realize equal pay for work of equal value in the Korean society, through looking at interpretation of the meaning of equal pay for work of equal value and evaluation methods in the two nations in this forum.