Labor Unions Snub Governments Move
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Labor unions defied a government warning against massive rallies and illegal strikes.
The Korea Alliance of Progressive Movements, an association of labor and farmers' groups, criticized the government’s statement against collective action by labor groups during a press meeting in Seoul, Friday, and confirmed there ``will be no change’’ on a scheduled rally.
The progressive group plans to stage a rally in downtown Seoul. The protest is for the abolishment of temporary worker status, and to oppose the Korea-U.S. FTA and the extension of Korean soldiers deployment to Iraq.
``The government doesn’t want to listen to why we are staging the protest and just regulates our rally as illegal. They distorted our true purpose of collective action,’’ said Lee Sok-haeng, the lead organizer of the protest.
``We organized 200,000 protesters when President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached. At that time, the government allowed our rallies but now they say `no’ to our action for laborers' rights. They have double standards,’’ Lee added.
Earlier in the day, four ministries _ justice, labor, construction and transportation, and government administration and home affairs _ warned against the rally and walkouts of railway and cargo workers.
The statement said the police ordered the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions not to hold the rally on Sunday as large-scale rallies would create heavy traffic jams. Also it confirmed the strikes scheduled on Nov. 16 by railway and cargo workers were illegal and the government will take stern action against them and arrest activists on the spot.