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17 April, 2001The IMF demands that all those responsible for the police assault be punished and insists on protection of workers' rights.
GENEVA/KOREA REP: On April 17, on this website, the IMF reported the brutal assault a few days earlier by Korean riot police on Daewoo trade union members who were attempting to enter their union office. A court order had given them the legal right to be there. They were lying down, defenseless, as police clubbed them.
Reacting to this latest attack on trade unionists and on trade union rights, Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, has written a strong letter of protest to Kim Dae-jung, the South Korean president, as follows:
"Last week I wrote to you to urge you to include Korean trade unions in a dialogue to find a solution to the problems of the Daewoo Motor company. Even as this letter was on its way to you, Korean police attacked workers and trade union representatives trying to enter their offices at the Daewoo Motor company.
"Korean courts had upheld their right to do so, but in spite of this, the police violently attempted to prevent them from exercising their rights. This is an affront to international labour rights, the laws of your land, and even your own declared policies. As a result of this illegal police behaviour, we received reports that more than 40 workers were injured and 20 arrested.
"We protest the role of your government and its police forces in this incident in the strongest possible terms and demand that all those responsible be speedily punished. In addition, we insist that your government protect the workers' rights to enter their office and to demonstrate in support of their demands.
"We call on you to release all workers and trade union leaders arrested in connection with this most recent incident, as well as those still detained as a result of earlier incidents at Daewoo Motors.
"Finally, the excessive police presence can only add to the tensions; consequently, we urge you to reduce the deployment of security forces and begin the dialogue we urged you to undertake in our preceding letter. Let me recall to you that our organisation has 193 affiliates around the world who represent 23 million workers. We will bring these matters to their attention and ask them to support the workers at Daewoo Motor by all appropriate means."
The IMF would request its affiliates to protest this latest attack on trade union rights. Letters can be addressed to:
President Kim Dae-Jung
Chung Wa Dae 1 Chung-ku
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Fax: (82/2) 770-0202
Contact information for Korean embassies worldwide can be found by clicking here.
Kindly send copies of all correspondence to the IMF and to the:
Korean Metal Workers' Federation
Fax: (82/2) 712-4253
E-mail: [email protected]
Reacting to this latest attack on trade unionists and on trade union rights, Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, has written a strong letter of protest to Kim Dae-jung, the South Korean president, as follows:
"Last week I wrote to you to urge you to include Korean trade unions in a dialogue to find a solution to the problems of the Daewoo Motor company. Even as this letter was on its way to you, Korean police attacked workers and trade union representatives trying to enter their offices at the Daewoo Motor company.
"Korean courts had upheld their right to do so, but in spite of this, the police violently attempted to prevent them from exercising their rights. This is an affront to international labour rights, the laws of your land, and even your own declared policies. As a result of this illegal police behaviour, we received reports that more than 40 workers were injured and 20 arrested.
"We protest the role of your government and its police forces in this incident in the strongest possible terms and demand that all those responsible be speedily punished. In addition, we insist that your government protect the workers' rights to enter their office and to demonstrate in support of their demands.
"We call on you to release all workers and trade union leaders arrested in connection with this most recent incident, as well as those still detained as a result of earlier incidents at Daewoo Motors.
"Finally, the excessive police presence can only add to the tensions; consequently, we urge you to reduce the deployment of security forces and begin the dialogue we urged you to undertake in our preceding letter. Let me recall to you that our organisation has 193 affiliates around the world who represent 23 million workers. We will bring these matters to their attention and ask them to support the workers at Daewoo Motor by all appropriate means."
The IMF would request its affiliates to protest this latest attack on trade union rights. Letters can be addressed to:
President Kim Dae-Jung
Chung Wa Dae 1 Chung-ku
Seoul, Republic of Korea
Fax: (82/2) 770-0202
Contact information for Korean embassies worldwide can be found by clicking here.
Kindly send copies of all correspondence to the IMF and to the:
Korean Metal Workers' Federation
Fax: (82/2) 712-4253
E-mail: [email protected]