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11 August, 2005ICEM News Release No. 30/2002
Power workers' leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region have condemned the dismissal of Korean electricity workers.
Marching to the Korean embassy in Bangkok this Monday, electricity unions also demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of union leaders now being held in South Korea's prisons.
A protest message over the jailings and sackings was unanimously passed by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network Meeting for the Electric Power Industry, held in Bangkok on 15-16 June by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Taking part were power union leaders from Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, Fiji, Australia, India and Korea.
438 Korean electricity workers were sacked this March for staging a strike against a unilaterally imposed plan to privatise the power industry. A number of their union leaders were subsequently arrested.
The Bangkok meeting condemned the Korean government for keeping trade unionists in prison despite an international campaign for their release. The Asia-Pacific labour leaders urged the Korean government to enter into "meaningful dialogue" with the unions. They also vowed to keep up the international protests until the Korean union leaders are freed.
Leading the embassy demo were the ICEM-affiliated Thai EGAT power workers' union and Bangkok's Metropolitan Electricity Authority union. A petition was handed to the embassy's First Secretary by union representatives, including ICEM Energy and Mines Officer Gino Govender.
The mood became angry when the First Secretary described the jailed Korean trade unionists as "criminals". But he subsequently agreed to pass the protest message on to his government.
Marching to the Korean embassy in Bangkok this Monday, electricity unions also demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of union leaders now being held in South Korea's prisons.
A protest message over the jailings and sackings was unanimously passed by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network Meeting for the Electric Power Industry, held in Bangkok on 15-16 June by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Taking part were power union leaders from Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam, Fiji, Australia, India and Korea.
438 Korean electricity workers were sacked this March for staging a strike against a unilaterally imposed plan to privatise the power industry. A number of their union leaders were subsequently arrested.
The Bangkok meeting condemned the Korean government for keeping trade unionists in prison despite an international campaign for their release. The Asia-Pacific labour leaders urged the Korean government to enter into "meaningful dialogue" with the unions. They also vowed to keep up the international protests until the Korean union leaders are freed.
Leading the embassy demo were the ICEM-affiliated Thai EGAT power workers' union and Bangkok's Metropolitan Electricity Authority union. A petition was handed to the embassy's First Secretary by union representatives, including ICEM Energy and Mines Officer Gino Govender.
The mood became angry when the First Secretary described the jailed Korean trade unionists as "criminals". But he subsequently agreed to pass the protest message on to his government.