South Korea
19.04.01
Urgent Interventions
South Korea: Repression of Daewoo Motor Workers' Unionists Against the Background of Structural Adjustment Programmes
Case 190401. ESCRC
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in South Korea.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Saranbang, a member of OMCT network, that over 300 members of the Daewoo Motors Workers Union of the Pupyong Plant and their lawyer have been severely beaten by the police on April 10th 2001.
According to the information received, the unionists were trying to go to their office, accompanied by their lawyer Attorney Park Hoon, when they were stopped by some 500 riot police at around 2 o’clock in the afternoon of April 10th 2001. For approximately one and a half hour the unionists peacefully protested against the police’s obstruction. It is then reported that four members of the National Assembly arrived and made some inquiries as to why the riot police was preventing the unionists from going to their office.
Following the departure of the National Assembly members, the riot police allegedly began beating the unionists. It is reported that the unionists responded by taking their shirts off and lying down on the street to show that they did not mean to do anything but to go to their office. At this time, according to the information provided, the riot police began to charge towards the workers, slashing and beating them with batons during approximately 30 minutes. One unionist had a lung pierced by a broken rib, another was beaten on the head and the face ending up with a broken nose and torn skin around the eye, another could not stop vomiting because of the beating he received, and another could not talk properly due to the shock. A total of 43 unionists were taken to the hospital and on April 13th 2001 24 unionists were still hospitalised. It is reported that the unionist lawyer, Attorney Park Hoon was also severely beaten by the police and he is currently hospitalised due to fractures to his pelvic bone and the numerous other blows he received on his body. According to the information received, 21 unionists were also arrested by the police and released after 48 hours of detention for questioning.
This event occurred as unionists tried to enter their office which had been closed down by the Deawoo’s management. Since then the management closed off the Daewoo Motors Workers Union’s office and designated a small building which is located within the company’s plant compound but completely surrounded by a three meter high iron sheet wall. Anyone wanting to enter the building would have to leave the company’s plant, which requires the unionists to obtain a leave-pass from the company if they want to go to their office during working hours.
It is reported that on March 7th 2001 the Daewoo Motors Workers Union filed a court injunction regarding the obstruction of its activities and the entry to its original office. The Incheon District Court ruled, on April 6th 2001, in favour of the plaintiff and order that the unionists be allowed to their office and conduct their legitimate activities.
Background information on the situation in Daewoo Motors’ Pupyong Plant
According to the information provided, this incident is linked to the recent dismissal, on February 16th , of around 1750 workers of the Daewoo Motors, many of whom were either union activists or militants in the Pupyong Plant. It is reported that some other 3500 workers have been laid off since November 2000. To protest against such measures, the workers of the Daewoo Motors company went on strike, which was forcibly ended by riot police on February 19th 2001.
According to the information received, the work on the Pupyong Plant resumed on March 7th 2001, with the constant presence, since then, of more than 2000 riot police stationed throughout the Pupyong Plant’s compound. It is reported that each gate of the Pupyong Plant’s compound is guarded by the riot police and barricaded by container boxes.
The Economic Restructuring and the Stand-By Agreement with the IMF
Following the Asian crisis of 1997 the government of South Korea concluded, on December 5th 1997, a stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), establishing a number of structural measures to be taken by the South Korean authorities in order to receive IMF loans amounting to about 21 billion USD. Even if this economic program aims at narrowing the external current account deficit, containing inflation and limiting the deceleration in real GDP growth through restrictive monetary and fiscal policies, trade liberalisation, attraction of foreign direct investment and corporate governance, it fails to address social needs as well as the social impact it might have on the population affected by the economic restructuring.
The impact of the economic and financial crisis faced by South Korea since 1997, and the related government-driven structural adjustments, are closely related to the authorities’ violent answer to the unionists’ defence of their labour rights and human rights. According to the information received, the authorities’ strong determination and commitment towards the IMF to address the crisis and implement the required reforms might explain the above-mentioned events.
In a commentary for the International Herald Tribune on February 20th 2001, Ajaj Chopra, Assistant Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the IMF, and David Coe, IMF Senior Resident and Representative in Seoul expressed the urgent need for the Daewoo Group to carry out important restructuring, and called on creditors to exert pressure on the group to carry out the expected reforms.
While OMCT does not take a position concerning the merits of economic restructuring as such, and the need for the South Korean economy to carry out the reforms and restructuring recommended by the IMF, it notes that the South Korean government shall ensure that the economic restructuring does not negatively impact on the respect for human rights. In this regard, OMCT notes that the authorities’ ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights mechanisms fix a clear framework for the implementation of macroeconomic policies.
Action Requested
Please write to the South Korean authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned injured persons;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to all victims;
iii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial 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 national laws and 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
Chief Lee Moo-young, The National Police Agency, 209 Miguen-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Fax : (+82 2) 313 0686
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in South Korea.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Saranbang, a member of OMCT network, that over 300 members of the Daewoo Motors Workers Union of the Pupyong Plant and their lawyer have been severely beaten by the police on April 10th 2001.
According to the information received, the unionists were trying to go to their office, accompanied by their lawyer Attorney Park Hoon, when they were stopped by some 500 riot police at around 2 o’clock in the afternoon of April 10th 2001. For approximately one and a half hour the unionists peacefully protested against the police’s obstruction. It is then reported that four members of the National Assembly arrived and made some inquiries as to why the riot police was preventing the unionists from going to their office.
Following the departure of the National Assembly members, the riot police allegedly began beating the unionists. It is reported that the unionists responded by taking their shirts off and lying down on the street to show that they did not mean to do anything but to go to their office. At this time, according to the information provided, the riot police began to charge towards the workers, slashing and beating them with batons during approximately 30 minutes. One unionist had a lung pierced by a broken rib, another was beaten on the head and the face ending up with a broken nose and torn skin around the eye, another could not stop vomiting because of the beating he received, and another could not talk properly due to the shock. A total of 43 unionists were taken to the hospital and on April 13th 2001 24 unionists were still hospitalised. It is reported that the unionist lawyer, Attorney Park Hoon was also severely beaten by the police and he is currently hospitalised due to fractures to his pelvic bone and the numerous other blows he received on his body. According to the information received, 21 unionists were also arrested by the police and released after 48 hours of detention for questioning.
This event occurred as unionists tried to enter their office which had been closed down by the Deawoo’s management. Since then the management closed off the Daewoo Motors Workers Union’s office and designated a small building which is located within the company’s plant compound but completely surrounded by a three meter high iron sheet wall. Anyone wanting to enter the building would have to leave the company’s plant, which requires the unionists to obtain a leave-pass from the company if they want to go to their office during working hours.
It is reported that on March 7th 2001 the Daewoo Motors Workers Union filed a court injunction regarding the obstruction of its activities and the entry to its original office. The Incheon District Court ruled, on April 6th 2001, in favour of the plaintiff and order that the unionists be allowed to their office and conduct their legitimate activities.
Background information on the situation in Daewoo Motors’ Pupyong Plant
According to the information provided, this incident is linked to the recent dismissal, on February 16th , of around 1750 workers of the Daewoo Motors, many of whom were either union activists or militants in the Pupyong Plant. It is reported that some other 3500 workers have been laid off since November 2000. To protest against such measures, the workers of the Daewoo Motors company went on strike, which was forcibly ended by riot police on February 19th 2001.
According to the information received, the work on the Pupyong Plant resumed on March 7th 2001, with the constant presence, since then, of more than 2000 riot police stationed throughout the Pupyong Plant’s compound. It is reported that each gate of the Pupyong Plant’s compound is guarded by the riot police and barricaded by container boxes.
The Economic Restructuring and the Stand-By Agreement with the IMF
Following the Asian crisis of 1997 the government of South Korea concluded, on December 5th 1997, a stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), establishing a number of structural measures to be taken by the South Korean authorities in order to receive IMF loans amounting to about 21 billion USD. Even if this economic program aims at narrowing the external current account deficit, containing inflation and limiting the deceleration in real GDP growth through restrictive monetary and fiscal policies, trade liberalisation, attraction of foreign direct investment and corporate governance, it fails to address social needs as well as the social impact it might have on the population affected by the economic restructuring.
The impact of the economic and financial crisis faced by South Korea since 1997, and the related government-driven structural adjustments, are closely related to the authorities’ violent answer to the unionists’ defence of their labour rights and human rights. According to the information received, the authorities’ strong determination and commitment towards the IMF to address the crisis and implement the required reforms might explain the above-mentioned events.
In a commentary for the International Herald Tribune on February 20th 2001, Ajaj Chopra, Assistant Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the IMF, and David Coe, IMF Senior Resident and Representative in Seoul expressed the urgent need for the Daewoo Group to carry out important restructuring, and called on creditors to exert pressure on the group to carry out the expected reforms.
While OMCT does not take a position concerning the merits of economic restructuring as such, and the need for the South Korean economy to carry out the reforms and restructuring recommended by the IMF, it notes that the South Korean government shall ensure that the economic restructuring does not negatively impact on the respect for human rights. In this regard, OMCT notes that the authorities’ ratification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international human rights mechanisms fix a clear framework for the implementation of macroeconomic policies.
Action Requested
Please write to the South Korean authorities urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned injured persons;
ii. guarantee adequate reparation to all victims;
iii. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial 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 national laws and 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
Chief Lee Moo-young, The National Police Agency, 209 Miguen-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Fax : (+82 2) 313 0686