South Korea
19.11.02
Urgent Interventions
South Korea: arrest of striking workers and trade union leaders
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCERN
Case KOR 191102. ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Korea.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest of 241 striking hospital workers on September 11 2002 and the imprisonment of 7 union leaders on November 15, in the republic of Korea.
According to the information received, on September 11, 3’000 riot police raided three hospitals owned by the Catholic Church of Korea where striking workers were participating in sit-ins as part of a dispute over pay and conditions of work that started in April 2002 between hospital workers, led by the Korean Congress of Trade Union-affiliated Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union and their employers. These arrests were allegedly followed by the imprisonment of 7 union leaders on November 15.
It is reported that these sit-ins occurred after months of employer intransigence, facilitated by the denial of fundamental trade union rights in Korean labour law, and that following the police raid the management of the hospitals refused once again all Union’s proposals of meeting in order to resume the negotiations and put an end to the dispute. According to the information received, the management referred 573 union members to disciplinary proceedings, issued dismissal notices to 20 key union leaders and began to hire new staff to replace the striking workers. Moreover, it is reported that police summonses were issued against 93 unionists.
It is reported that following these events, the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU) lodged a complaint against South Korea at the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Action Requested
Please write to the South Korean authorities urging them to:
i. order the immediate release of the persons detained in connection with these events, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. call for the immediate reinstatement of the 20 dismissed workers and put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of workers and the trade union movement;
iii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial civil tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. guarantee respect for the economic, social and cultural rights and notably the right of everyone to join and form trade unions as well as the right to strike as guaranteed by article 8 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98.
Addresses
. President Kim Dae-jung, The Blue House, 1 Sejong-no, Chongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Fax: (+82 2) 770 0253; E-mail: president@cwd.go.kr
. Chief Lee Moo-young, The National Police Agency, 209 Miguen-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Fax: (+822) 313 0686
. Minister Choi Kyung-won, Ministry of Justice; E-mail: legal_moj@moj.go.kr
Geneva, November 19, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case KOR 191102. ESCRC
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Republic of Korea.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), a member of the OMCT network, of the arrest of 241 striking hospital workers on September 11 2002 and the imprisonment of 7 union leaders on November 15, in the republic of Korea.
According to the information received, on September 11, 3’000 riot police raided three hospitals owned by the Catholic Church of Korea where striking workers were participating in sit-ins as part of a dispute over pay and conditions of work that started in April 2002 between hospital workers, led by the Korean Congress of Trade Union-affiliated Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union and their employers. These arrests were allegedly followed by the imprisonment of 7 union leaders on November 15.
It is reported that these sit-ins occurred after months of employer intransigence, facilitated by the denial of fundamental trade union rights in Korean labour law, and that following the police raid the management of the hospitals refused once again all Union’s proposals of meeting in order to resume the negotiations and put an end to the dispute. According to the information received, the management referred 573 union members to disciplinary proceedings, issued dismissal notices to 20 key union leaders and began to hire new staff to replace the striking workers. Moreover, it is reported that police summonses were issued against 93 unionists.
It is reported that following these events, the International Confederation of Free Trade Union (ICFTU) lodged a complaint against South Korea at the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Action Requested
Please write to the South Korean authorities urging them to:
i. order the immediate release of the persons detained in connection with these events, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
ii. call for the immediate reinstatement of the 20 dismissed workers and put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of workers and the trade union movement;
iii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a competent and impartial civil tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. guarantee respect for the economic, social and cultural rights and notably the right of everyone to join and form trade unions as well as the right to strike as guaranteed by article 8 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
v. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98.
Addresses
. President Kim Dae-jung, The Blue House, 1 Sejong-no, Chongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Fax: (+82 2) 770 0253; E-mail: president@cwd.go.kr
. Chief Lee Moo-young, The National Police Agency, 209 Miguen-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Fax: (+822) 313 0686
. Minister Choi Kyung-won, Ministry of Justice; E-mail: legal_moj@moj.go.kr
Geneva, November 19, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.