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While
soccer fans from all over the world gathered in Japan
and Korea to enjoy the World Cup, dozens of trade
unionists were languishing in Korean jails. In fact
during the course of the World Cup, while fans were
cheering on the Korean soccer team, some twenty-three
trade unionists were rounded up and imprisoned. These
latest arrests brings the total number of imprisoned
Korean trade union activists to fifty-two. This number
is about rise further. Some sixty trade union leaders,
including the leaders of the power workers union currently
on strike have had arrest warrants issued against
them.
According
to a report from the International Metalworkers Federation
(IMF) “more than 20 (trade) unionists at the
Doosan Heavy Industry were targeted for arrest, including
Kim Chang Keun, the President of the Korean Metal
Workers' Union (KMWU) a member of the Korean Metal
Workers' Federation (KMWF). Thousands of other (trade)
unionists in South Korea are subjected to other forms
of legal action, and many have lost their jobs for
forming a union in their work place”.
The
strike at Doosan, which started at the end of May,
is said to have cost the company $A400 million in
business and held up shipment of heavy equipment for
a number of important overseas clients. Rather than
enter into negotiations with union leaders the company
have opted out and left the union leaders to be dealt
with by the police. This, according to Workers Online,
“is a regular industrial tactic in Korea”
When talks between the company and union members collapse
riot police are called in to bash protesters and drag
away key union leaders.
While
the Korean soccer team enjoyed the praise and attention
of the nation and soccer fans across the world, workers
and trade union leaders continued to suffer flagrant
breaches of basic fundamental workers rights.
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