Skip to main content

Union mission stands alongside Korean strikers

ニュース

The 10-strong team was from the ITF and Public Services International (PSI) global union federations and representatives from their member unions – the CGT General Union of Civil Servants and CGT Cheminots (France); the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE); the Rail Tram Bus Union of Australia (RTBU) and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) of New Zealand.

 They were in Korea in response to a request for solidarity from Korean unions. The mission follows a top level ITF delegation that personally witnessed the targeting of trade unionists for speaking out. Just ahead of the visit Transport Workers’ Union of Australia (TWU) national assistant secretary, Michael Kaine, visited Korean truck drivers on the eve of their strike (See https://goo.gl/j0etIi).

The imposition of a discriminatory performance-related pay and termination system is part of a government attempt to further liberalise and privatise public services. The new system would have workers competing against each other and make it easier to dismiss employees. It would lower wages and undermine both job guarantees and the right of trade unions to defend their members.

The lawful strike brought together workers right across the public and public transport sectors. Its show of strength has led to some employers cancelling suspensions, but the government has declared the rail strike illegal and intends to press charges against nine rail union leaders. The global union movement will fight these attacks and campaign for rights in Korea and the release of those arrested in the last wave of anti-union repression.

Speaking in Seoul at the end of the mission, ITF assistant general secretary Stuart Howard said: "The ITF/PSI international mission has been present at the launching of a major workers' struggle against a government determined to accelerate the process of neoliberalism and privatisation. Korean unions are on the front line of the fight against globalisation.

“The international union movement must mobilise to support what is now a pivotal struggle."

ITF president Paddy Crumlin was in the court with ITF general secretary Steve Cotton and the previous ITF delegation in July, which witnessed the unjust sentencing of Cho Sung-deok, vice-president of the KPTU. In the public rally in front of the court house after that he promised that the global union movement would keep up an unremitting fight for democracy and rights in the country, including the call for the jailed KPTU officials to be released. Commenting on the latest news he stated that the ITF and its allies would support its affiliates throughout and oppose the introduction of privatisation and labour reforms that would undermine workers’ and citizens’ rights.

The executive committee of the ETF – the ITF’s European arm – has also passed a motion condemning the government’s violations of labour and human rights.

Read the ITF/PSI joint statement at the close of the visit here. Follow the story at www.facebook.com/ITFglobal and on Twitter using the hashtag #KoreaStrike4Justice. Videos from the mission can be seen here.

Post new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

現場の声

ニュース

女性交通運輸労働者に安全を

 11 月 25 日(女性に対する暴力撤廃の国際デー)から 12 月 10 日(人権デー)に実施される 「ジェンダーを基にした暴力に反対する 16 日間キャンペーン」 は、女性交通運輸労働者の安全に関する労働組合の取り組み強化を呼びかけるものである。  今年の グローバルテーマは 「 10 分に 1 人の割合で女性が殺されている。女性に対する暴力をなくすために団結しよう! #NoExcuse
ニュース

ディーセント(衛生的な)トイレへの安全なアクセス:交通運輸労働者の基本的権利

毎年 11 月 19 日の「世界トイレ・デー」は、世界中で衛生面の危機に取り組むための行動を喚起する機会だ。 適切なトイレ施設や衛生設備への安全なアクセスと、最も重要なこととして、必要な時にそれらの施設を利用できる必要性は、広く世界中の交通運輸労働者が強く感じている問題だ。 世界的な衛生危機は世界人口の約半数に影響を及ぼしているが、私たちの生活と経済を動かしている交通運輸労働者にとって
ニュース

2024年ITF世界大会、平和、労働者の権利、国際連帯への大胆なコミットメントで閉会

マラケシュで開催された2024年ITF世界大会の歴史的最終セッションでは、全世界の交通運輸労組の揺るぎない決意を再確認し、今後5年間のITF戦略を策定する重要な動議を採択し、役員の選出も行った。 労働者の力を高め、搾取と分断を進める勢力に対抗することに明確な焦点を当てた今大会は、激動の増す世界において、正義、平等、連帯のテーマを定め、譲ることのできない一線を明確にした。その中心にあるのは