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24 January, 2002Unions in South Africa as well as Kenya are putting added pressure on the government of South Korea to release imprisoned trade unionists.
SOUTH AFRICA/KOREA: The IMF-affiliated National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has threatened to boycott all South Korean exports to South Africa in order to bring an end to the repression of trade unionists in South Korea.
In a demonstration outside the South Korean Embassy in Pretoria on January 22 - the worldwide trade union action day for the release of all imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea - Numsa's general secretary, Silumko Nondwangu, presented a letter addressed to the South Korean president, Kim Dae-jung, calling for the immediate release of all imprisoned trade unionists and adherence to the democratic process, workers' rights and labour laws. "If they do not comply, we will ensure - in consultation with our government - that no South African buys their exports, like the Samsung products ... Mr. Dae-jung has about a week to respond to these demands. If he refuses to do so, we will organise more campaigns, which will include boycotts of Korean goods."
Another threat of boycott was reported from the IMF's two metalworker affiliates in Kenya, the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metalworkers and the Kenya Engineering Workers' Union. They declared that failure of the South Korean government to immediately release imprisoned trade unionists and respect workers' rights "will compel us to join hands with workers all over the world in calling for a worldwide boycott of the 2002 Football World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by South Korea."
In a demonstration outside the South Korean Embassy in Pretoria on January 22 - the worldwide trade union action day for the release of all imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea - Numsa's general secretary, Silumko Nondwangu, presented a letter addressed to the South Korean president, Kim Dae-jung, calling for the immediate release of all imprisoned trade unionists and adherence to the democratic process, workers' rights and labour laws. "If they do not comply, we will ensure - in consultation with our government - that no South African buys their exports, like the Samsung products ... Mr. Dae-jung has about a week to respond to these demands. If he refuses to do so, we will organise more campaigns, which will include boycotts of Korean goods."
Another threat of boycott was reported from the IMF's two metalworker affiliates in Kenya, the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metalworkers and the Kenya Engineering Workers' Union. They declared that failure of the South Korean government to immediately release imprisoned trade unionists and respect workers' rights "will compel us to join hands with workers all over the world in calling for a worldwide boycott of the 2002 Football World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by South Korea."