[mobglob-discuss] The World of Labor (September 29, 2006)

[Gordon Flett]

The World of Labor (September 29, 2006)
By Harry Kelber

Korean Police Shut Down 81 Union Offices in Reign of Terror

Korean riot police and security forces, under orders of the national 
government, shut down 81 chapter union offices of the Korean government 
employees union (KGEU) in a nationwide drive to cripple the organization.

More than 100 municipalities were turned into battlefields, as thousands of 
riot police armed with hammers, power drills and other equipment broke 
through the windows or by making an opening in the walls to storm into the 
offices. KGEU members were forcefully pulled out of the union offices and 
arrested. The union has 251 chapters across South Korea.

There were, however, several cases where union members were able to force 
the police and the municipal officers to back off. For example, at Hinju of 
Gyeongnam province, the union chapter mobilized 300 members to protect the 
office and struggled against attempts to close it down. Sacheon chapter, 
among several others, managed to fight off the closure of the office through 
mobilization of their members and staging sit-ins. Despite the shutdown of 
so many offices, the union is continuing to function, while organizing a 
series of protest actions.

Korean labor leaders view the present situation as a war between a 
democratic and independent trade union and an authoritative and barbaric 
government. Support for the KGEU has come from the Public Services 
International (PSI) a global union of 20 million public sector workers.

Chilean Teachers March for Higher Pay

Thousands of public school teachers marched peacefully to the capital to 
demand higher pay, amid heavy police security, following violent student 
protests early this year. Police said some 2,000 people took part in the 20 
block march to the Education Ministry on Sept. 26, while independent radio 
reports put the number at closer to 5,000.

Teachers have complained that negotiations for higher pay have dragged on 
too long and that the government has not been flexible enough. They have 
called for at least a 5% salary increase as well as other benefits. 
Government authorities said the teachers' demands would drain 370 million 
pesos ($685 million) from Chile's annual budget. But the teachers say that 
soaring prices for Chilean copper have boosted the government's revenue.

In July, hundreds of thousands of high school students staged a three-week 
revolt, demanding concessions in education, including better-built schools, 
subsidies for public transport and free school lunches.

Cuban Workers Congress Calls for Boost in Production

The final report of the Cuban Workers Congress (CTC) meeting of 500 
delegates called for workers to increase production and services, while 
recognizing their contributions during the "Special Period"--a crisis that 
began in the 90s with the disappearance of socialism in the Soviet Union and 
Eastern Europe--and in particular, the economic advances over the past five 
years.

The document calls attention to the improvements in some of the 800 state 
owned enterprises and toward which principal efforts must be directed to 
substantially advance their efficiency. The report highlights the issues of 
employment and wages, pointing out that 230,000 workers received their wages 
via relocation or enrollment in training courses at a cost to the government 
of $150 million pesos ( about $5.6 million). It also refers to the need to 
bring production efficiency and productivity in line with the 2000 wage 
increases that benefitted more than 5 million individuals.

The text calls for an increase and improvement of workers' training in the 
fulfillment of defense tasks in "recognition of barbaric U.S. forays in 
other parts of the world." The CTC, founded in 1939, now has 3,390,000 
members, representing 96% of the nation's work force.

Wal-Mart's Filipino Workers Attacked and Fired for Striking

Workers producing clothes for Wal-Mart at the Korean-owned Chong Won Fashion 
garment factory in the Philippines desperately need the support of unions 
around the globe in order to put a stop to their employer's attempt to 
destroy their union through violence, mass firings and intimidation.

On Sept. 27, a combined force of municipal and free trade zone police and 
private security guards attacked the strikers who were peacefully picketing 
outside the factory gates, as the police escorted scab replacements into the 
factory. According to the Philippine Workers' Assistance Centre (WAC), 22 
union members were injured in the attack.

This is the second police assault on the picket line, since workers walked 
off the job on Sept. 25 to protest their employer's refusal to negotiate a 
first collective bargaining contract and hired scabs to replace them. All 
strikers are expected to be fired. At least 66 workers have received 
termination notices. The police are also reportedly blocking food supplies 
from reaching the strikers in an apparent attempt to starve them out of the 
factory.

Wal-Mart, the factory's major buyer, carried out an audit of the contracting 
company on Sept. 20, but it failed to live up to its commitment to meet with 
WAC to hear its side of the story or to put sufficient pressure on its 
supplier to cease all harassment, discrimination and abuse of union members.

Three More Teachers Are Murdered in Colombia

Since the start of 2006, a total of 22 Colombian teachers have been 
murdered, three of them in August. According to their union, the Federacion 
Colombiana de Ecuadores (RECODE), two of them had actually informed the 
authorities of the death threats they were receiving. No culprits have been 
identified by the authorities for any of the 22 murders.

In a letter to Columbian President Alvaro Uribe on Sept. 14, the Educational 
International (EI) emphatically condemns the assassination of teachers and 
calls for an immediate and broad investigation to find those who committed 
the crimes. EI has been working with its affiliate RECODE to promote trade 
union activities in Colombia. In August, the EI Latin American Regional 
Office organized a seminar on the fundamental rights at work for RECODE 
members.

On Sept. 26, EI will be joining the International Day of Action on Colombia, 
organized by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, that will 
demand the full implementation of the "Tripartite Agreement on Freedom of 
Association and Democracy," signed by Colombia's three main unions, the 
employers and the government. EI encourages all of its affiliates around the 
world to show their solidarity with their Colombian colleagues.

French Car Manufacturer to Eliminate 10,000 Jobs

The French car maker Peugot announced Sept. 27 that it would cut 10,000 jobs 
over the next year in a drive to reduce costs and raise the profitability of 
the company. It said the job reductions would take place in France and Spain 
and would be achieved by a freeze on hiring when employees left the company.

Jean-Martin-Folz, Peugot's chief executive, said his automotive group had 
decided to act because of its declining market share in Europe, ageing model 
lineup, slow startup for new models and increased competition. The latest 
cost reductions are in addition to an existing efficiency drive designed to 
cut costs by 700 million ($889 million).

Peugot is Europe's second biggest auto maker that employs 130,000 workers in 
Europe and 208,000 worldwide.

Our two weekly columns (LaborTalk and The World of Labor) can be viewed and 
downloaded at our web site: < www.laboreducator.org>.
Harry Kelber's e-mail address is hkelber at igc.org