[APWSLMembers 208] solidarity message to KCTU
Kilusang Mayo Uno
kmuid at tri-isys.com
Tue Mar 7 17:37:18 JST 2006
KMU Solidarity message to KCTU on their general strike
6 March 2006
Mr. Jo, Jun-Ho
President
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
2nd Fl. Daeyoung Bldg., 139 Youngdeungpo-2-ga,
Youngdeungpo-ku, Seoul 150-032 Korea
E-mail: <mailto:inter at kctu.org>inter at kctu.org
To Mr. Jo, Jun-Ho and our friends in the KCTU,
The Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) strongly supports your
struggle against the passage of a legislation that allows the
legalization of irregular workers by the Parliament environment and
labour committee.
Thru your general strike, the KCTU has once again demonstrated to the
capitalists, the Korean government and to the world that it is ready
to defend the interest of the workers. We congratulate you for the
initial success of your nationwide strike, that drew the
participation of about 150,000 unionists at over 150 workplaces and
protest rallies in about 10 major cities.
Labor flexibilization affects not just the Korean workers but all the
workers all over the world. It is a global phenomenon brought forth
by the capitalists' over-zealous drive to gain super-profits amidst
the intensification of the world economic crisis. It is one of the
many schemes designed to further imperialist globalization.
Governments and capitalists tout labor flexibilization as essential
to 'global competitiveness'. But the workers know otherwise. The
implementation of labor flexibilization policies took away regular
jobs and replaced them with contractual labor. As a result, workers
are denied security of tenure, paid lower wages with little or no
benefits, deprived of their right to form and join unions,
participate in collective bargaining, and exercise their right to strike.
This is the same experience that we have in the Philippines. It is
the Philippine government itself that sells our country to foreign
investors by implementing cheap labor policy. In the name of 'global
competitiveness', flexible employment policies are being carried out
with impunity especially in the export processing zones and
industrial enclaves where foreign capital abounds.
Capitalists use labor flexibilization to divide the ranks of the
workers. They want to pit regular workers with contractual
workers. It is imperative therefore to show to the capitalists that
workers all over the world are one in fighting against globalization
schemes that affect their rank.
We must continue organizing the ranks of the contractual workers,
include them in the unions and fight for their job security. The
contractual workers, apprentices, irregular workers, dispatched
workers and the many others that they call by various names, have the
intrinsic right to better wages and benefits. They have the right
for their voices to be heard. They have the right to exercise their
economic and political rights.
Thus, we commend the general strike that you launched against a
legislation that aims to legalize irregular workers to further
exploit and oppress them and squeeze profits from their toil. In the
same way, we strongly condemn the Korean government and the National
Labor Relations Commission for putting into compulsory arbitration
the labor dispute as well as declaring the strike illegal. We urge
you to firmly stand on your ground as you continue to fight for what
is just and right.
We wish you all the courage, strength and determination on your
general strike. Only thru the unity of the workers will victory be achieved.
Long live KCTU!
Long live the struggle of the workers!
Defend job security, no to labor flexibilization!
Fight imperialist globalization that brings about labor
flexibilization schemes!
Long live international solidarity!
In solidarity,
Elmer Labog
KMU Chairperson
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