South Korean Strike

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Friends,

It is worth paying attention to this strike in South Korea. Below
is an Associated Press article on the strike. According to KCTU
(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, I think), at some point
there were about 200,000 workers participating in the strike. Are
there any Koreans on this list who can give us some "insider"
information?

By the way, I found this part of the article very interesting:

"Thousands of rail and power workers have maintained a vigil over
the past two days at two Seoul university campuses while
negotiations proceeded."

Sabri

+++++++++++++++


South Korean Rail Workers Agree to End Two-Day Strike
Tue Feb 26,10:19 PM ET

Associated Press


SEOUL , South Korea (news - web sites) -- State rail workers
ended a two-day strike Wednesday after reaching a compromise with
management during overnight negotiations, officials said.

The strikers demanded a shorter work week and opposed a
government- privatization plan workers feared would lead to mass
layoffs.

"The railroad suffered greatly from the strike this time. We must
overcome problems that have arisen from it," said Sohn Hak-Rae,
head of the state-run Korea National Railroad.

Kim Jae-Gil, head of the railroad's labor union, apologized to
the nation for inconveniencing travelers, saying that "I'm
prepared to take responsibility."

Mr. Kim is one of 36 union leaders being sought by authorities
for organizing the "illegal" strike. Strikes by public-sector
workers is banned in South Korea . Mr. Kim said he will turn in
himself to authorities.

The end of the rail strike was expected to affect separate
negotiations under way to end a two-day walkout by state
electricity workers who also were protesting for a shorter work
week and against privatization of the power grid.

Privatizing the national railway and other ineffective state
firms was one of President Kim Dae-Jung's top economic policy
priorities in his last year in office. The change is part of
reforms being pushed to strengthen the South Korean economy after
the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

The strike-ending deal doesn't deal specifically with worker
grievances. But it includes a management promise to shorten the
work week, to rehire some workers fired in past labor disputes
and to increased pay.

The government refused to dump privatization plans, but it
promised to take worker concerns into account.

Thousands of rail and power workers have maintained a vigil over
the past two days at two Seoul university campuses while
negotiations proceeded.

The impact of the strikes in the power sector was limited because
most facilities are automated. The rail strike was very
disruptive, however, and cities were jammed with motorists who
typically travel by train.

About 25% of the 20,000 unionized rail workers took part in the
strike.

Tuesday, 50,000 workers at 93 private work firms nationwide
walked out in support of the state workers. About 20,000 downed
tools at the nation's two largest car makers, Hyundai Motor Co .
and sister firm, Kia Motors Corp.