The Daewoo Struggle is still continuing (from Korea)
(fourth newsletter/ fifth newsletter below)
Dear Friends,
This is PatchA from Daewoo Joint Struggle Headquarters.
(
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english)
The struggle is extending over a long period. The oppress of the Kim Dae-jung Government is more stronger and a lot of people including children and women are worn. But, We will fight to the end.
March 15th, A Cultural Festival for supporting the Daewoo Struggle was held in the ground of Daewoo Apartment where the workers had lived. You can see the Real play on the next address
http://real.jinbo.net:7071/ramgen/cham/access/video/daewoo0315.rm
There are sevaral sad news. In the process of struggle, a women who were pregnat, lost her baby due to the strong shock from the struggle. And a female child who has been a patient with heart disease, also was taken by 119 ambulance. But, the Kim Dae-chung Govenment ignores the pain of the families, and offers more policemen on the spot of Daewoo factory. Because the situation is very urgent like these, in spite of pregnance, heart desease etc. the families are now struggling against the Govenment.
This is the fourth Urgent Newsletter about Daewoo Struggle.
Please Solidarity.
In Solidarity,
PatchA
Urgent Report - Daewoo Struggle from Korea
March 8th
<The Activities of what 'Kim Woojung Arrest Squad' had done in Paris>
Fri., February 23rd
12:30 Having a press conference in Kimpo Airport
20:00 Arriving at Degol Airport, Holding welcoming meeting, Having an interviews with the press
Sat., February 24th
10:00 Planning program, Publicity Activities, Checking programs for strike and demonstration
17:00 Activities for Publicity -Proceeding interviews with main broadcasting stations
Sun., February 25th
10:00 Sending out phamplets in every streets, reassuring demonstration lot
18:00 Interviews with Prof. Lee Hwansic(Paris 8th University) and Prof. Jilbere Asuca
Mon., February 26th
10:00 Having a press conference with Korean reporter in the SUD office
11:00 Street demonstration at Saint-Nazaire Square
14:00 Accompanied by the Lemond
17:00 Making phamplets and placards
Tue., February 27th
08:30 Street demonstration at la de pensee station - accompanied by France Kanal Plus TV
10:30 Interview with European Union Congress senator Crebang in the SUD office
• Sending a letter of remonstrance to the Korean Government
• Requesting European Governments to forbid Kim to enter any countries
• Discussing whether to despatch official committe in the European Congress
13:00 Putting placard before the Eiffel Tower and having a rally demonstration at Human Rights Square - Trocadro
15:30 Interviews with representatives of Judge Labor at the office of Judge labor
: After finding what Kim has done in France, requested warrants from Intepol
18:00 Intervies with vice-chairman of the Inter-Human Rights Union
• The Inter-Human Rights Union plans to send a letter of remonstracne to the Korean Government
• Consisting public corporation with Korean organizations of Human Rights, sending representatives to UN Committee of Human Rights
20:00 Having an on-air interviews with LCI Broadcasting Station (CNN in France)
Wed., February 28,
9:00 conference with SUD leaders
• Nice Kim Woo-jung's villa address and location identified by SUD on-line labor union
• Fact that Daewoo local corporate person is paying the villa phone bills is officially confirmed
12:00 Interview and demonstration at Korean Embassy in France
14:30 Interview with Lemond Diplomatic Vice-editor-in-chief (Lemond office)
17:30 Interview with CFDT(one of French labor unions) Metal Directors
Thur., March 1st,
9:00 Meeting with French laborers' total alliance (CGT) leaders (at CGT office)
11:00 participated in French labor union leaders' meeting - explanatory briefing given
18:30 open debate held for general public
• French social groups join and make a countermeasure committee
• Official written protest is forwarded to Blue House
• Protest advertisement against oppression of laborers by the Korean government is planned to be placed in Korean daily newspapers
Fri., March 2nd,
11:30 Swiss Geneva ILO places official lawsuit against Korean government
12:00 Interview with the representatives of Lyons Interpol Union of Administration and demonstration held
16:00 meeting with CGT Lyons headquarters representatives
Sat., March 3rd,
2:00 depart for Nice, France
9:30 Arrive at Nice, France, interview with broadcasting stations
11:00 Arrive at 269, Pablongue St., Nice Kim Woo-jung villa
11:30 penetration protest into villa and attach warrant of seizure, proceed to demonstrate
13:00 proceed to hold interviews with major press corporations
21:00 depart for Paris
Sun., March 4st,
11:00 meeting with local citizens
15:00 Special interview with Liberasiyong(International Association Yoo Min-hyeong Leader)
18:00 Interview and meeting with leaders of ATTAC, CGT, CFDT, SUD, unemployed union etc.
Mon., March 5st,
15:00 depart for Korea
<end>
March 14th
MANAGEMENT PLANS TO MOVE Daewoo PUPYONG Factory
TO MEET GM'S SELL-OFF REQUIREMENTS
In its negotiation with Renovation Committee for the Business Management and informally, the Daewoo management has been about to move Daewoo Pupyong painting plant to the suburb of Inchon. They said that the reason of moving plan is due to the deterioration of the facilities. Another grounds for the move is that the plant is close to resident area and far away from quay causing high transporting cost. In order to cut down on transporting cost, management said the plant should be moved to the reclaimed land of Dong-a in Songdo. The Trade Union has been delaying any countermeasure considering an inevitable situation where painting factory should be newly built. For the same reason, it was generally accepted at work-site that the Pupyong plant should be moved to the suburb of Inchon. Now we need to carefully examine the management's moving plan.
First, it costs a little over 1 trillion won (about 1 Billion US Dollars) to move the Pupyong plant to the suburb of Inchon. This sum is beyond the ability of the company under a court receivership.
Second, creditor banks have been expressing themselves that money coming from moving Pupyong plant belongs to creditors themselves. From this we can judge the creditors will spend less than 300 billion won to move the plant and take the Pupyong plant site as a redemption of bond.
Third, as a condition of acquiring Daewoo Motor, GM has shown to have asked for the close-down of Pupyong plant. GM has been making it clear that it's going to buy only Daewoo Motor's assets not workers. We can guess that GM suggested Kunsan plant be combined with the Second Car Factory that has similar platform to that of Kunsan plant because Kunsan plant can not dump 1 shift system.
Fourth, It is true that the plan of moving Pupyong plant is in order to neutralize the Trade Union. Daewoo Motor's Trade Union has been the core in the movements of democratic trade union including struggle for disorganizing puppet union in 1985, struggle for direct presidential election in 1987, struggle for desperately defending democratic trade union in 1991, struggle against Daewoo Motor's sell-off to GM, and etc. Especially because the Trade Union has been carrying on resolute struggle against sell-off of Daewoo Motor to GM, multinational capital and Kim Dae-jung government desperately want to neutralize Daewoo Motor's Trade Union.
Since failing to sell off Daewoo Motor to Ford in September last year, the government and creditor banks have been recklessly hurrying to meet sell-off requirements. Related to this, they finished, in mid October, 2000, technical examination on moving Pupyong plant and in early November, right before the bankruptcy, made a final decision about where to move the Pupyong plant to, moving cost, and how to manage facilities. To say that Daewoo Motor plans to move the Pupyong plant to the suburb of Inchon is just for show because the plan is not feasible. The management is hiding its intention and deceiving the workers and people but every detail will be revealed by early June, when Daewoo Motor's sell-off to GM is expected to materialize.
March 15th
We Need Your Help!!! Please...
We have not enough money to fight and struggle. The Families are suffered because they were thrown out from their house being rented from Daewoo. Can you give any donation or fund to us? Please, we need your help. Things or Fund, Whatever we are fine. We will wait your help. Thanks.
Bank : Chohung Bank
Account : 938-04-179123
Name : An Mi-jeong
BIC-Code : chohkrse
Daewoo Strike (Febr. 2001)
More information on the Daewoo Struggle:
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english/
PICIS: http://picis.jinbo.net/
[Daewoo Struggle] the Fifth Newsletter
Daewoo Workers, 27.3.2001 |
Dear friends,
This is the Daewoo Joint Struggle Headquarters.
It is the fifth newsletter about the situation of Daewoo Struggle.
The oppress by the Kim Dae-jung government is more forcible and the protest is also stronger. Here are two news.
The one is about the Cultural festival with Families(March 15th) for supporting this struggle. You can also see the movie at this URL:
http://real.jinbo.net:7071/ramgen/cham/access/video/daewoo0315.rm
And the other is KCTU statement on March 12th:
We are warned against the establishing the new unit in charge of fending off gasoline bombs by the Kim Daejung Government
We will fight until we win.
In solidarity
PatchA
PS.) It takes much time to translate in English. So, the news is somewhat late.
I'm so sorry. Please understand our situation.
A.
[March 15th] CULTURAL FESTIVAL WITH FAMILY FOR SUPPORTING STRUGGLE ONWARD
In front of Daewoo Motor's rental apartments in Kajeong-dong, at 7 in the evening, March 15, cultural festival "WE WANT TO COME BACK TO WORK" was held by Family Counterplan Committee to stop mass layoffs and keep their right to live. This festival was intended to show ongoing struggle (by Family Counterplan Committee) to the other families in the apartments, and to encourage them to join the struggle and to cheer them up. Through the festival, the Committee members could feel they strongly united and they strengthened their resolve for struggle onward.
A large placard hanging on the wall of the apartment saying, "WE WANT TO COME BACK TO WORK." And there were also a lot of placard on the apartmnet balconies, saying "We oppose layoffs. No layoffs."
During the festival, which began with Kilnori(a parade) by Pungmulpae(Korean traditional percussion instrument music band), participants felt more connected to each other with singing and dancing together and the festival got more exciting with the shows by Daewoo Motor's singing group and comrade Park Jun. The festival became more meaningful by a story of a wife whose husband, as a member of Daewoo Motor's Trade Union, survived the layoff. She said, now her husband is working under surveillance by the management and the riot police. She also said, "although they can not see much of each other and there is some gap between those who got laid off and not. They are all one and should stick together and go on struggle to solve this urgent situation.
The festival continued with film-running about the struggles by workers and families against Daewoo Motor. It made the participants solemn and tearful. In the scene where riot police appeared, one little kid shouted out "Bad men!" and in the scene where the riot police were violently taking demonstrators, people got infuriated. They then shouted "AWAY WITH YOU" to policemen in civilian clothes hanging around the festival site and the scared policemen went away. Looking at the scene in which police were taking workers, one kid asked his father, "Dad, haven't you been taken by the police to the police station?". His father answered, "Why not? Already two times!". Everyone was in tears at the scenes in which a gray-haired old mother, grabbing the minister of Labor, exclaimed "No LAYOFF", and one father, being caught by the riot police, cried out when he got separated from his son by the police. At the scene that the police violently hit a woman with a baby on her back, the viewers were incensed and shouted, "YOU (the police) SON OF BITCH!", "YOU Sucker!"
The festival closed with everybody singing "Like a rock", "Strike song" with candles in their hands in exploding fireworks. When the people were marching in a circle with the candles in their hands, families's tearful voices in their letters for solidarity became spread to the sky of Kajeong-dong. The letters were about desperate and sad reality of the families but the participants didn't remain just sad. They cheered up each other and strengthened their resolve for struggle onward...
B.
[Statement] We are warned against the establishing the new unit in charge of fending off gasoline bombs by the Kim Daejung Government
-First, the Kim Dae-jung government should remorse by looking at the people's requests which is the rights to live
- The government policy, raising the compensation 10times more which would be given by reporting the fire-bottle to the police, and saying that they would put the demonstrator with fire-bottle in the 1st place in the court, is very careless according to the declaration of war that they would suppress the laborers by the specially trained army.
- To say it easily, the way of suppressing that their plans from the security police conference was the lowest level of all. It is such a dangerous attitude that they were trying to oppose the people's resistance by cruel force. We also want the demonstration with fire-bottles disappear, but would it be possible to disappear if the government raise the compensation 10 times and make the new unit? Then, why has the fire-bottle demonstration continued during the period of military regime? It is such a disappointing attitude that the government is using the theory of public peace and safety to oppose the labors and people's resistance.
- The recent fire-bottle demonstration was wanted by the government itself. Kim,woo-Joong had fired so many workers (1750 layoffs) while he was having such a luxurious life in foreign country. He oppressed the workers in Daewoo Bu-Pyoung factory by using cruel violence. The police had beaten up a father and a son, brothers, a man with handicap and those people who had lost their place to live from Daewoo. They even came into the Sangok cathedral where the fired families from Daewoo temporarily had lived and arrested all people in there without any reason. The government had been beating innocent people The police had abused the law They have been showing that the justice has been lost. If the political power loses its consciousness, an unexpected resistance will come out. The fire-bottle demonstration, started in Bu-Pyoung, was wanted by the government that has been pushing the cruel policy with force.
- Suppressing the fire-bottle demonstration with very cruel way should get worse. Korea people are turning their back on the government. Finally they are shouting "The Government Resign". Fire-bottle demonstration, appeared in years, are showing how serious the people's anger is.
A lot of Korean people are changing the channel when the president appears on TV. Why is that so? Pres. Kim Dae-Joong has left the worst situation. The government policy of revolution has failed completely. The government has fired the innocent people and workers, and made them hunger by abusing the name of layoff.
However, the government has been giving the funds to the foreign countries. The revolution has been lost, but the silence remains. People have been saying that Kim, Young-Sam policy has ruined our country, but the truth is that the recent political policy is not acceptable.
The people do not have any hope on the Kim, Dae-Joong's government. The denial of fire-bottle is not being talked about anymore. The government should understand what it means. - We believe that the government has lost its consciousness. The arrogant attitude of the government shows the last of itself. We have been learning that the mean power has always been judged. Ex president Jung-hee Park, Do-whan Jun, Tae-woo No Young-sam Kim's political policies had been judged by the people. We do not want the president Kim Dae-jungDae-Joong doing the same thing, but if he continues to have this arrogant attitude, there's no other way.
We are willing to fight against the government if they do not make the right revolution. We do not want any trouble, but we do not want to avoid either.
Kim, Dae-Joong's policy should stop making the new units !!!!!!!
Kim, Dae-Joong's policy should resign!!!!!!!
Daewoo Strike (Febr. 2001)
More information on the Daewoo Struggle:
http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english/
PICIS: http://picis.jinbo.net/