[vol.14] VOICES FROM WORKPLACES_ How there arent workers to work in workplaces ? Since the food supplying string is cut.
WORKING WOMAN 2008. 3. 20. 11:38Since the food supplying string is cut.
Yang Ja Sin(A volunteer of Seoul Women Workers Association)
The Kyong Do Co. was a sewing company that produced mens suits and subcontracted with Elcanto and Jindo both big and stable companies. Kyong Do has its own brand and is quite a stabilized company. After the collapse of the company, over 10 women workers lost their jobs without receiving retiring allowances or even salaries.
Ms. Myong Lim Ko, 34 years old, worked for Kyong Do for three years, and presently works as a deputy secretary for southern region of the Seoul Garment Manufacturing Workers Union, fought for the countermeasures of the companys dishonoring.
“We accomplished the target productions in 1996 and believe that the year of 1996 made a black record.
However we felt uneasy from the beginning of 1997 and our salaries and bonuses were delayed to be paid from May. Finally the salaries were delayed for two and half months. We all were already in a difficult situation but, we tried to keep our hopes up that we would eventually receive our delayed salaries.”
And so they attempted to get through the crisis. On December 1, about 30 workers including Ms. Ko gathered to organize a countermeasure committee and were suddenly informed of the companys dishonoring. It was a shock. Because only president of the company went for clearing bills in the day before their gathering.
“The president ran away and the managers did not turn up. We went to the house of the president but all his family already run away. From that day on, we took turns guarding the company. We all were in a very difficult situation especially married women who worried deeply about the tuition fees for their children.”
Because the president had run away, the workers attempted to make money by selling the machines and whatever could be sold. For that the workers formed the obligees unit on December 2. Over 60 workers have joined the Chong Gye Garments workers union and the union work together with the workers.
“At first the president refused to give us power of attorney, so we wrote a petition letter to the Ministry of Labor. In the end the president asked us to withdraw the petition letter and gave us attorney.
We sold the machines, cloths, and clothes and made 130 million wons.”
The money however did not help the situation. The total amount of the unpaid wages for 160 workers was 690 million wons, not including retiring allowances. Ms. Go explained that her company could form an obligees committee but, in many other companies in this plants they could not form the committee.
“It is very common to dismiss workers when a difficult situation arises. In many cases, the company wants to run the annual salary system with lower wages, no bonus`, and no retiring allowances, but many times companies are forced to shutdown.
After the IMF, a number of companies have either closed or collapsed. What is puzzling is, how such stable companies could close so quickly.”
The media has focused mainly on the dismissal arrangement for white color and professional sectors. A long time ago, there was news that there were no workers for the 3D industries. However, the situation in the industrial sector is now very serious.
“The sewing industry, by nature, is weaker than other industries. If a big enterprise collapses, the related small industries and subcontract industries will subsequently collapse, too.
We, the factory workers feel that we have no voice and dont even get the chance to worry. We are just dismissed at once when the company is closed. Furthermore, there are many factories that are not registered, and the workers in those factories can not be benefited by the employment insurance or peoples pension system. Some of them even have no medical insurance benefits. It is fortunate that my company has the employment insurance. ”
In January alone, more than 3,000 factories were closed which is a significant number. It is seldom that factories are able to recruit new workers, due to the present situation, and most of the factories cannot pay wages in time.
Putting it briefly, there has been no solution and our lives have become shaky and unstable.
Each day the government and media mention the unemployment rate, but the numbers we hear usually have nothing to do with the workers. However the estimation of the number is nothing to do with workers. For us, the unemployment problem is the most important and relevant issue.
“The mass talks about shared sufferings. But it seems that it is the media itself which cause most of the problems for workers, it is our opinion that the political sector is the place where the dismissal arrangement is most needed.”
After the interview, Ms. Myong Lim Ko added the above opinions with a firm voice.