An Extraordinary Child Photo Exhibition
On June 21st 1995, the Signetics Labor Union opened a unique photo exhibition. Under the name 'We're part of the Signetics Company family too,' the adorable children of the union members were displayed. Beside the pictures were phrases that the children wanted to share, such as 'I don't want to stay at home alone,' 'Its too lonely to be alone,' 'Please take good care of the children, the workers of tomorrow,' 'The Childcare center is a place to make the children's sound of laughter grow louder,' 'We want to play safely in the Childcare Center.'
According to research carried out in 1994 on the demands of the union members regarding collective bargaining, the establishment of childcare facilities was the most desired request. Therefore it was decided to make the establishment of a Childcare Center one of the demands of that year's collective bargaining.
At that time, as the number of the married members grew to as much as three hundred, childcare problems was the most urgent problem, and it had become so serious that it was the number one reason for married women to leave their jobs. After the research by questionnaire was carried out three times, as many as ninety of the members replied that, "they would leave their children with the Childcare Center, if it were to be established."
On June 21st 1995, the Signetics Union opened a unique photo exhibition and stirred up interest from the union members on childcare centers within workplaces.
The Vice Chairman who had agreed to help with this subject despite her tight schedule, explained the circumstances of the opening of the Childcare Center in the Signetics labor Union this way.
The process of setting up the Childcare Center was not that easy. When we entered negotiations with the company about Childcare Services on June 7th, the Company broke off negotiations on June 9th with absurd comments such as; "The company had been too good to the workers; thus the number of long service workers and the percentage of married workers has grown".
To make matters worse they added that, if a Childcare Center is to open... "Why should the company take responsibility for Childcare facilities?" Hence the labor union began a sit-in strike, demanding the establishment of childcare facilities, and married workers actively participated presenting situations about the difficulties of married workers in caring for their children and how unfair it was for working women to have to take full responsibility for the problems of raising children as an individual, especially as a woman.
- The presentation of heartbreaking stories from married women
"Since there's no one to take care of my child permanently, I had to raise my child by moving to places where there was someone to care for my child, however faraway it was from my workplace. After my child was old enough to go to kindergarten, he knew that mom had to sleep instead of play with him during the day while she was on night duty (Signetics is operated in three shifts) and wandered around the playground or around his friends' houses. It breaks my heart as a mother to watch my child that way, and I am always worried about accidents."
(Picture ) On June 21st 1995, the Signetics labor Union opened a unique photo exhibition and stirred up interest from the union members on childcare centers within workplaces.
"Since there is no one to take care of my child, I have been keeping him with my mother who is over seventy. But as she is old and weak, she cannot hold the child nor carry him on her back. So she always keeps the child in bed, and it hurts me whenever I see that."
"I keep my child in a nursery near home, but have to bring him back home at about seven o'clock in the evening. So when I am on night duty and when my husband is late from work, after a panic, I have to leave the child alone and go to work. On days like that, the child always follows me to the bus station.
Watching that, I always desperately want to just hold his hand and walk back home together. But fearing it would turn out to be a habit, I ride on the bus without even turing back though I cry all the way to my workplace with a broken heart. When I phone home after reaching my workplace, the child cries so hard that I am too disturbed about him to put my mind to work."
Listening to these heart breaking tales of married union members we all cried in sympathy and the unmarried union members who considered the childcare problems as not an issue connected to them said, "I won't live that way, always so nervous about my children", and decided that it was their own problem as well as others, and that childcare facilities are necessary for their future.
After this presentation, the union members grew even more firm, and the unique child photo exhibition set up right in front of the president's office helped the Union members stand even more firmly on their beliefs.
- After much struggle a mutual agreement was reached
In reply to the question of the reporter on what was most difficult in the process of setting up the Childcare Center, the vice president replied, "Because of the insincere attitude of the company, the reaching a conclusion in the collective agreement with the company on the matters of a Childcare Center within workplaces was slow, and the arguments with male workers grew.
'Why should we start a Childcare Center first? Why can't we wait until others start?' 'The company is not likely to make an agreement. Let's progress with negotiations without sacrifice'. There were male workers who came to the Union and argued like this.
An over zealous male worker even barged in ferociously to make a harsh protest. A male supervisor made the absurd remark that, 'Coming to work without a place to keep the child is below human behavior.' We women tend to agree with others if it can be of help to them even if it has no practical profits to ourselves, but men seem to be quite different. The most difficult problems we faced in the progress was the lack of awareness that childcare is the responsibility of society and the resistance of men who did not have direct experience with the difficulties of childcare."
The Signetics labor union who had unrelentingly urged the company to solve the childcare problem by considering the human side rather than with the logic of capital, finally obtained an agreement from the company promising to set up a childcare center by September 1995 in the 20th round of negotiations on June 23rd.
- We achieved community life through Childcare Services
The Signetics childcare center was set up on a building site of 103 pyung (340 square meters) outside the factory with a building which is 42 pyung (139 square meters). Now we are busy with interior decorations with the aim of opening at the beginning of March 1996. It is intended that child care facilities will be available from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and from 2:00PM to 1:00 AM in two shifts.
"The married union members felt a new strength through the progress of the struggle. There was a mother's assembly consisting of the married union members who were planning to put their children in the care of the childcare center, and there was full participation. We were surprised with the strength of the married women who had neglected the activities of the Union because they were busy with their work in the company and at home.
We came to believe that the strength they showed us with the mother's assembly will be of great help in the future. Though the company will take care of the costs of equipment and maintenance, the childcare center will be run by the labor union themselves.
We are preparing hard with great committment on how we will bring up our children, but we still have difficulties due to the lack of experience. However the Union will take the lead and honestly attain the community life that should be realized for the workers through the childcare center."
It was easy to sense the actualization of a model childcare center through the vice chairman's comments. We send our congratulations and encouragement to the labor union who gave birth to the Signetics childcare Center through great hardship.
p.s.. For labor unions working for the establishment of childcare services, contact the Signetic labor union (651-6619) or the Seoul Women Workers' Association (867-0516). We will gladly share the wisdom and methods we learned in our own struggle.