[vol.22] [Voices from the workplace] 3. They were not called union members but restaurant Ajoomma

 

Voices from the workplace They were not called union members but restaurant Ajoomma Hyon Joo Kim, Administration Manger of Inchon WWA On July 31, 1998, Hyundai Car Co. dismissed 274 workers. Among the dismissed workers, 144 were women workers working in the cafeteria. On August 24, the company and trade union had a negotiation in restructurization and the trade union handed over the cafeteria from the company.   The dismissed 144 women workers of the cafeteria were re-employed by the trade union under sub contract. When the company spoke about the dismissal, the trade union strongly protested against the dismissal and manifested that the union would struggle even for the last dismissed worker. The women workers 1f the cafeteria supported the statement of the union and they provided meals for the union. However, they were dismissed by the company and had to struggle for their labor rights. While they struggled to go to their workplace, they were badly treated by the company guards who used violence. The company sued them and even demanded damage compensation. The women workers asked for the help and the guarantee of their labor rights from the trade union. The union did not accept their appeals saying that their demands were not in their regulations. The women workers realized that they would not be able to conduct any legal step unless they got their identity guaranteed as union members. So, they started their protest setting tents next to the company. They had to welcome the new century from their tents.   At the beginning of 2000, a new important company issue was brought up and the case of the women workers met the crisis of being forgotten by society. Five women workers, who were over 50 years old, launched a hunger strike. After 13 days of the hunger strike, the union leaders, struggle leaders, and the company representatives met together and promised to do their best in order to restore the dismissed women workers' jobs and formed a special committee for restoring the dismissed workers' jobs.  They are not yet returned to their workplace. However, they were chosen  as the foundation of women's rights on International Women's Day and they won the Reward of this year's Women Militants. They showed unified women workers' power in the situation where men-oriented trade union led the situation. They provided a great opportunity to re-think about women union members.      Ajoomma: One way of addressing a married woman. It is distinguished from Miss or Mrs. It does not have any concept of professional or career women. It can be used for an intimate relation but, at the same time, it can be used to disgrace married women intimating that the women have no careers or reputation.