News

The UNI Korea Liaison Council (UNI KLC) speaks out in support for the striking E.Land shop workers. The trade unions which represent many different economic sectors and the country's both union confederations KCTU and FKTU call on UNI to consider launching a complaint against the retailer for violating the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Companies. UNI KLC is also prepared to join in a consumer boycott against E.Land.

 

- This a struggle by particularly disadvantaged workers in a non-regular position, for the future lives of their children and families, the Korean unions say.

 

- But it is also a particularly important struggle for all working families and their trade unions both in Korea and abroad. It is a struggle where workers say no to brutal exploitation and demand the right of working people and their families to an economically and socially dignified life.

 

Workers had no choice but to take strong action

 

- By its refusal to negotiate in good faith with the E.Land workers' trade union, the company's management left no other choice for these workers than to take strong trade union action. Their in-house picketing received the full support also of the regular workers at E.Land, as well as that of workers in other sectors and industries.

 

- It was only through this decisive and spontaneous action by the victimised workers that serious negotiations between the management and the trade union could get on their way, UNI KLC says.

 



Jan Furstenborg of UNI Commerce visited the Homeland shop workers at Seoul's World Cup Stadium a few weeks ago when their sit-in strike was already into its third week. Just a few days after this picture was taken, riot police entered the former Carrefour hypermarket and dragged the picketing workers to various police stations around the Korean capital. Most of them were later relased, but union president Kim Kyung-wook (left in the front row) remains in custody.

 

- The government's intervention in this conflict by using police force while negotiations were still continuing was neither wise nor acceptable. Labour issues have to be resolved by the employers and the trade unions, not through riot police interventions against peaceful workers fighting for their lives against large and resourceful enterprises.

 

- In this case, most of the victims of the police action were women and young girls, which makes this intervention even less acceptable and understandable.

 

- Now is the time for everybody, including the government and the E.Land management, to work for a settlement of the conflict through free and fair negotiations. The aim must be that all workers whose contracts were terminated or not renewed are taken back into a secure employment relationship.

 

Unions say police action violated ILO Conventions

 

In a statement released last Friday, the UNI-affiliated Korean trade unions condemn the police action to crush the sit-in strikes at the Seoul Homever, New Core and Kim's Club stores. They also demanded that the union president Kim Kyung-wook be released. Instead, two other trade union representatives were arrested the same evening.

 



Eiichi Ito (left) of UNI Asia and Pacific visited Seoul last Friday, for discussions with KFSU president Kim Hyung-Geun (right), UNI's Korea representative Jay Choi and Jan Furstenborg of UNI Commerce. The talks centered on how the regional and global union could best support the E.Land workers' struggle and help secure respect for fundamental trade union rights.

 

According to UNI KLC, E.Land's demands for financial compensation by individual workers and their trade unions are in clear violation of the International Labour Conventions, that establish freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

 

- E.Land must understand that if they do not cancel their demands on financial compensation there cannot be any solution to the issues themselves. Instead, the entire trade union movement will join the E.Land workers in a vigorous campaign to defend them and their rights.

 

- UNI KLC underlines that the E.Land conflict concerns not only the workers who are directly involved, but all members of Korean society who depend on their work for securing the living of their families.

 

- If E.Land persists in refusing to take back the workers wrongly dismissed or denied a continuation of their contracts, UNI KLC will join a broad trade union and consumer action against the company's behaviour.

 

UNI should complain to OECD about guideline violations

 

- UNI KLC welcomes the strong international solidarity and support of commerce trade unions world-wide as well as of trade unions in other sectors of Union Network International.

 

- UNI KLC calls on UNI to take further steps in support of the E.Land workers, including a complaint to the OECD based on E.Land's violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Companies.

 

- UNI KLC and all its member trade unions regardless of their confederation affiliation express their strong solidarity with and active support for the fight of the E.Land workers for their fundamental rights. They declare their preparedness to give all support possible to secure the workers and their families the right to decent living and working conditions.

For more stories and pictures on the E.Land workers' struggle, go to the dedicated UNI Commerce webpage:

UNI Commerce

articles and pictures

on E.Land workers'

fight for their jobs