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27 February, 2001The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union is staging a demonstration in Sydney in protest at heavy-handed police repression of autoworkers in Korea.
AUSTRALIA/KOREA: The following is a media statement published by the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union in support of their Korean colleagues at Daewoo Motor Co.
EMBARGOED: 6am Thursday 1st March 2001 (Australian EST)
AMWU supports workers' struggle in Korea
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union is protesting at the Korean Consulate in Sydney today, in support of Daewoo workers in Korea who were violently suppressed by 4,000 riot police while taking strike action.
Mr Paul Bastian, NSW State Secretary of the AMWU said today that he was horrified to see the televised scenes of police violently evicting protestors from the Daewoo Pupyong plant. At one stage, 4,000 armed police used fork lifts to surround and ram protestors, including women and children.
"Last week the world witnessed terrifying images of thousands of riot police violently suppressing Korean workers, their families and children who were protesting at the Daewoo plant," said Mr Bastian.
The workers in Korea suffered brutal and vicious attacks from police last week while protesting against mass sackings that now total nearly 5,000. Financial mismanagement, based on huge illegal overseas loans by Daewoo executives, has led to the mass sackings with remaining workers being forced to accept 30% cuts to their wages.
Daewoo is now bankrupt and the Korean Government is seeking to sell Daewoo to General Motors. The Korean government is seeking to crush the workers in the interests of the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and General Motors. GM is the only likely buyer, who will only purchase Daewoo if there is significant 'restructuring'.
The Korean government has spent massive resources on crushing the workers, but has failed to put any resources into catching the corrupt management who were responsible for the crisis. The CEO Kim Woo Choong has been accused of embezzling 20 trillion won (the equivalent of one third of the entire South Korean budget).
Union seeks meeting with Korean Consular General
The AMWU has written to the Korean Consular General seeking a meeting to discuss the situation in Korea and to urge the Korean government to withdraw police action, end the harassment of union leaders and release arrested Daewoo workers.
The AMWU has had a long-term relationship with the Korean Metal Workers' Federation (KMWF) over the last ten years. Mr Bastian said today that this violent attack on the workers and the union was a flagrant attack on human rights and should be condemned.
"What we are witnessing is the ugly effects of globalisation, where a sovereign government will sell out the rights of workers and the peoples' quality of life to the interests of trans-national corporations," said Mr Bastian.
Mr Julius Roe, National President of the AMWU, said today that the AMWU is opposed to the free trade policies of the World Trade Organisation.
"The Howard Government is using free trade policies as a battering ram that will destroy jobs in both Korea and Australia. The free trade policies of the Howard Government and the WTO are to build the profits of the multi-national corporations. The AMWU and the Korean unions are campaigning against this for Fair Trade not Free Trade," said Mr Roe.
Last year the financial problems at Daewoo saw 400 Australian workers loose their jobs at the General Motors engine plant at Fishermens Bend in Melbourne. A major supplier to Daewoo, the Australian plant cut back production following the collapse of Daewoo in Korea.
The AMWU has organised a protest rally where workers, unions, students, Aidwatch, churches and community groups will be protesting in support of workers in Korea.
"We are protesting in support of the Korean workers' right to protest, their right to long term job security and against the influence of globalised capital and the free trade agenda of the World Trade Organisation, which has corrupted the Korean Government's handling of the Daewoo situation," said Mr Bastian.
The protest is at: 1pm Thursday 1st March 2001, Korean Consulate, 32 Martin Place, Sydney.
The following people will be speaking at the protest:
Paul Bastian -- NSW State Secretary, AMWU
Joon Shik Shin -- Korean Resource Centre
James Arvanitakis -- Aid Watch
For further information about the protest contact:
Jan Primrose (protest coordinator) -- 0408 625 851
Paul Bastian, State Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union -- 0419 409 285
Lauren Teague (media) -- 0419 995 156
For further information about the situation in Korea contact:
Julius Roe, National President, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union -- 0419 293 114.
EMBARGOED: 6am Thursday 1st March 2001 (Australian EST)
AMWU supports workers' struggle in Korea
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union is protesting at the Korean Consulate in Sydney today, in support of Daewoo workers in Korea who were violently suppressed by 4,000 riot police while taking strike action.
Mr Paul Bastian, NSW State Secretary of the AMWU said today that he was horrified to see the televised scenes of police violently evicting protestors from the Daewoo Pupyong plant. At one stage, 4,000 armed police used fork lifts to surround and ram protestors, including women and children.
"Last week the world witnessed terrifying images of thousands of riot police violently suppressing Korean workers, their families and children who were protesting at the Daewoo plant," said Mr Bastian.
The workers in Korea suffered brutal and vicious attacks from police last week while protesting against mass sackings that now total nearly 5,000. Financial mismanagement, based on huge illegal overseas loans by Daewoo executives, has led to the mass sackings with remaining workers being forced to accept 30% cuts to their wages.
Daewoo is now bankrupt and the Korean Government is seeking to sell Daewoo to General Motors. The Korean government is seeking to crush the workers in the interests of the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and General Motors. GM is the only likely buyer, who will only purchase Daewoo if there is significant 'restructuring'.
The Korean government has spent massive resources on crushing the workers, but has failed to put any resources into catching the corrupt management who were responsible for the crisis. The CEO Kim Woo Choong has been accused of embezzling 20 trillion won (the equivalent of one third of the entire South Korean budget).
Union seeks meeting with Korean Consular General
The AMWU has written to the Korean Consular General seeking a meeting to discuss the situation in Korea and to urge the Korean government to withdraw police action, end the harassment of union leaders and release arrested Daewoo workers.
The AMWU has had a long-term relationship with the Korean Metal Workers' Federation (KMWF) over the last ten years. Mr Bastian said today that this violent attack on the workers and the union was a flagrant attack on human rights and should be condemned.
"What we are witnessing is the ugly effects of globalisation, where a sovereign government will sell out the rights of workers and the peoples' quality of life to the interests of trans-national corporations," said Mr Bastian.
Mr Julius Roe, National President of the AMWU, said today that the AMWU is opposed to the free trade policies of the World Trade Organisation.
"The Howard Government is using free trade policies as a battering ram that will destroy jobs in both Korea and Australia. The free trade policies of the Howard Government and the WTO are to build the profits of the multi-national corporations. The AMWU and the Korean unions are campaigning against this for Fair Trade not Free Trade," said Mr Roe.
Last year the financial problems at Daewoo saw 400 Australian workers loose their jobs at the General Motors engine plant at Fishermens Bend in Melbourne. A major supplier to Daewoo, the Australian plant cut back production following the collapse of Daewoo in Korea.
The AMWU has organised a protest rally where workers, unions, students, Aidwatch, churches and community groups will be protesting in support of workers in Korea.
"We are protesting in support of the Korean workers' right to protest, their right to long term job security and against the influence of globalised capital and the free trade agenda of the World Trade Organisation, which has corrupted the Korean Government's handling of the Daewoo situation," said Mr Bastian.
The protest is at: 1pm Thursday 1st March 2001, Korean Consulate, 32 Martin Place, Sydney.
The following people will be speaking at the protest:
Paul Bastian -- NSW State Secretary, AMWU
Joon Shik Shin -- Korean Resource Centre
James Arvanitakis -- Aid Watch
For further information about the protest contact:
Jan Primrose (protest coordinator) -- 0408 625 851
Paul Bastian, State Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union -- 0419 409 285
Lauren Teague (media) -- 0419 995 156
For further information about the situation in Korea contact:
Julius Roe, National President, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union -- 0419 293 114.