People's Media - Newscham

all text articles

Home > list > labor
Minimum wage workers claimed for damage by Daewoo E&C for strikes
"We're not shaken by even 600 million Won"
Lee, Kkoch Mam, Reporter iliberty@jinbo.net
January 23, 2007

84 Days of Struggle for Livelihood

As the Daewoo Construction Co. building has turned over to Kumho Asiana, service workers who have worked at this building their whole lives have been laid off. Maintenance and security workers who have worked for decades to clean, maintain, and secure this building have been engaged in 84 continuous days of struggle for their livelihood.

  It is the 84th day of their fight for livelihood
[출처: Chamsaesang]

In order to keep working at the place to which they have devoted their whole lives, they continue to go to work everyday. However, they have been met with police violence and the huge sum of 600 million Won in damages, an unfathomable amount for these minimum wage workers. 'The Daewoo Irregular Workers' Committee fighting for Livelihood and demanding Daewoo being regarded as its Actual Employer' will concentrate their actions during the 23rd to the 25th of January to fight for their jobs, in their ongoing struggle.

Gangsterlike Violence from staffs of Daewoo, 600 million won law suit,
and Protesters violently hauled into Namdaemun police station in the end

On the morning of January 23rd, a ceremony began to proclaim the service workers concentrated struggle. "We've lost so many things during our 84 days of struggle," the head of the solidarity struggle, Koo Kwon Suh, began, "To bring us to this place, Daewoo Construction Co. has inflicted all imaginable forms of oppression. They have demanded 600 million won in damages and said to have mobilized over 2500 hired hoodlums/gangsters. We've worked here for 20-30 years receiving less than minimum wage. Let's plainly show them that we won't be shaken by a 600 million won or even though they threat with 6 billion won lawsuit," he continued, raising his voice.

  January 23rd, A ceremony to proclaim their concentrated struggle took place in front of the Kumho Asiana Building
[출처: Chamsaesang]


On January 9th, in order to keep 33 executive members of the Seoul-Incheon public trade/labor union branch and unionists from entering the building, Daewoo Construction Co. demanded 590 million won in damages, including wages of employed service workers. Also, on the 19th, in an act of violence, they forcibly hauled in 14 protesters starting with the leader of the solidarity struggle, Koo Kwon Suh.

"It's bad enough to get laid off from the Daewoo Center building where we have worked our whole lives, but 600 million won is an unfathomable sum for maintenance/beautification workers who received less than minimum wage and security workers, who earned upwards 1 million won guarding the building 24 hours in rotating shifts," the solidarity struggle strongly denounced. In regard to the forced incarceration of the protesters, the members of the struggle also pointed out that, "the penniless and powerless subcontract workers are always the only ones to get tickets for illegal action by the Namdaemun police station."

[출처: Chamsaesang]

  He tried to go to work but service workers hired by Daewoo Construction Co. blocked him from entering.
[출처: Chamsaesang]

Beginning with the proclamation rally on the 23rd, the solidarity struggle will then hold a resolution rally in front of the head office of Kumho Asiana at 3pm followed by a candlelight vigil at 6pm on the 24th. On the 25th, a resolution rally will be held in front of the Daewoo Center at 11am followed by a resolution rally in front of the main office of Kumho Asiana at 3pm to bring the concentrated rally to a close.


trackback URL http://www.newscham.net/news/trackback.php?board=news_E&nid=39031 [copyinClipboard]

Comment

LHBWUM

additional remark

Translation by Alice S. Kim

related stories

Tragic Fire Highlights South Korea's Inhumane Treatment of Migrant Workers
At around 4:00am on February 11 a devastating fire swept thr...
A Rally Denouncing the Ministry of Justice for the Fire in Yeosu Detention Center
"The Minister Must Resign! Close Down the Detention Centers!" A press conference and a rally on the recent fire in Yeosu F...