Suicide of Doosan worker

KOREA, REPUBLIC: The Korean Metal Workers' Federation (KMWF) has informed the IMF of the tragic death by self-immolation on January 9 of Bae Dal-ho, a 50-year-old worker and trade union member at Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, in Changwon, southeastern Korea. Bae, who had worked for 21 years at the shipbuilding company and with a family to support, took the decision to commit suicide after Doosan not only fired him and others for participating in strike action last May but had also convinced a court to provisionally seize Bae's property assets and wage compensation. He had not received any pay for over six months. A committee of trade unions has blamed Bae's death on the company's harsh treatment of him and its anti-union activities. They called the provisional seizure of Bae's assets "a new kind of trade union suppression". The KMWF and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions have taken their campaign against the company nationwide, staging a number of protest actions in metropolitan areas since January 9. In a letter of protest to the president of Doosan Heavy Industries, Park Yong-sung, the IMF's general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, urged him to take "appropriate action leading to immediate reinstatement of those Doosan workers dismissed for union activities and to halt all anti-union activities of your company." The unions say they will continue to fight for Bae and over the issue of privatisation of public enterprises. Doosan bought Korea Heavy Industries and Construction from the government in 2001. Act now!
Use the Urgent Action Appeal feature at the LabourStart website, and submit a protest to Doosan's president, Park Yong-sung, in seconds!