North and South Korea

SWP/IS: history and myth

Eric Hobsbawm somewhere discusses one of the oddest conundrums in labour historiography, one paralleled now in the historiography of IS/SWP: the 20th century reputation of the Fabian Society as far-sighted pioneers of independent labour representation - the gap between what was and what is afterwards widely accepted as having been. The facts flatly contradicted the Fabians' reputation. They opposed independent working-class politics for as long as they could, pursuing a policy of 'permeating' the Liberal Party with ideas about state and municipal enterprise. They 'come in' late to the movement...

Opposition in North Korea

Rosalind robson reviews dispatches, undercover in the secret state, Monday 17 October, Channel four In her film, American-Korean director Jung-Eun Kim returns to the subject of North Korea. She had filmed the plight of its refugees during the 1990s. Then, a famine killed an estimated two million people. Has life improved? Judging by the films secretly made inside the country, by dissidents of the ultra-Stalinist regime, and shown here, not much. Another famine is predicted soon in North Korea. The effects may be even more horrendous and tragic. Many western countries are withholding aid...

Workers of the world round-up

News from working-class struggles around the world... ITALY The importance of the August holiday tradition in Italy can be seen in the fact that — during the break — the trade unions and management have a “summer truce” and class struggle comes to a halt for several weeks. Except that this year, the transport union SULT called a strike of Alitalia cabin crew during the holidays. The strike’s over the derecognition of SULT after the union refused to discuss a restructuring plan put forward by Alitalia. The government has responded by threatening the “call-up” of Alitalia staff. The word they...

Need a Korea change, chairman?

Disturbing news in the "Pyongyang Times" this week: http://www.kcckp.net/ "The chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) said that Kim Il Sung is the great leader of the Korean people who won back the country and built a powerful socialist country and the iron-willed commander and the brilliant strategist who defeated the US imperialists that boasted of being “the strongest” in the world. A congratulatory message to Kim Jong Il was adopted at the meeting held in Mongolia." The party's first election pledge makes interesting reading in hindsight...

Korea: unions head for clash with government

Korean trade unions are heading for a clash with the government over its anti-union harassment. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) have threatened a walk out this week. In April, 825 unionists were arrested during a demonstration outside Ulsan City Hall, and in May 600 trade unionists were arrested during peaceful and legal strike action, taking the total of arrests of labour activists to at least 1425 in the space of 8 weeks, or more than one trade unionist arrest every hour. The arrests targeted union members and leaders of Ulsan...

World workers' news round-up

ARGENTINA Last month a judged ordered that a public notice of ownership be posted at the ceramics Zanon factory in Argentina. The notice would have allowed a venture capitalist or the previous owner to buy Zanon Ceramics for pennies. More than 470 jobs and the workers’ administration of Zanon could have been in danger, as a new owner could have immediately requested their eviction of the factory. However as no “interested parties” registered, the judge had to close the registry and it cannot be re-opened. Zanon workers and their supporters are now lobbying the courts to declare the factory...

160,000 strike over new laws

Around 160,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions took industrial and protest action on 1 April. Some 120,000 workers at 231 workplaces struck for four hours. The protest was over two new laws which the KCTU argue will clear the way for accelerated casualisation of Korea’s workforce. Some 60% of all Korean workers are now employed on “temporary” or “irregular” contracts. KCTU unions are using their bargaining strength at plant level to gain regular status for casual employees. Last year, unions at the Coca-Cola Korea Bottling Company were successful in contract negotiations to...

Korean civil servants' general strike

Korean civil servants’ in the Government Employees’ Union (KGEU) organised a general strike on 15 November as part of its fight against anti-union laws. The strike went ahead despite a police crackdown the week before. The KGEU, which has 140,000 members out of 300,000 low-ranking civil service workers, is demanding the right to strike, which is prohibited for public servants in South Korea. Police rounded up more than 200 leaders of the union and stormed union offices before the strike. The courts issued arrest warrants against 33 leaders of the KGEU and threatened strikers with arrest and...

Korean union federations prepare for general strike

The two major union federations in Korea — the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the more militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) — have formed joint headquarters for a proposed general strike. The joint industrial action is to: - stop revision of labour laws concerning temporary workers, - stop Korea-Japan free trade negotiations; and - fight for basic union rights of civil servants. The KCTU is to hold a strike ballot later this month for a general strike in November. It expects 100,000 workers from the Metal Union, Hyundai Motors and Kia Motors to participate.

Workers of the world Round up

By Pablo Velasco Inside: Strike wave in South Korea Soldiers terrorise workers Haitian workers Victory for Colombian banana workers' strike General strike in Nigeria stops petrol price rises Strike wave in South Korea Korean taxi drivers and metal workers went on strike this month for wage increases and better working conditions, joining hospital workers on their week-long walkout. About 4,600 drivers of the Korean Federation of Taxi Workers' Unions, an affiliate of the independent Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), are demanding the introduction of a minimum wage, a strengthened...

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