Massive Railway Workers strike in South Korea sees government attacks, union calls for general strik - Polidicks

[quote](Reuters) - South Korea's militant labor federation announced a general strike from Saturday in sympathy with rail workers, after police hauled away scores of strikers in a two-week dispute that has hit President Park Geun-hye's popularity ratings. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has more than 690,000 members from sectors including construction and public transport and any stoppage could bring the country to a halt. Workers with the state-run Korea Railroad walked off the job in protest against a decision to set up a unit to run a high-speed bullet train, which they say will lead to privatization and layoffs. Hundreds of riot police stormed into the umbrella group's head office on Sunday in a bid to arrest union leaders. They detained about 130 strikers and confederation members. "The KCTU will show our anger by action, not words, against infringement of KCTU," the confederation said in a statement on Monday, promising an all-out strike from Dec 28. Freight trains are running at 54 percent normal frequency and passengers trains at 58 percent. That frequency will be reduced further this week. The strikers want the company to withdraw the plan to set up a separate unit, and Park doesn't want to back down. She said the government would not give way in what has become the longest strike to hit the railway. "We can't promise a future if we compromise without principles just because it is difficult," Park said on Monday. The government has repeatedly denied planning to privatize the railway, but Park's approval ratings have sagged since the strike began. A Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday that her approval ratings had fallen to 48 percent, the lowest since May. Opposition parties blamed the police raid and urged the government to negotiate.[/quote] [url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/23/us-korea-labour-idUSBRE9BM07H20131223]Reuters[/url] [quote]Four railway union leaders took refuge in Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul as the strike they instigated entered a 17th day, officials from the temple and union said Wednesday. Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) Union Vice President Park Tae-man and his three colleagues entered the Buddhist temple around 11:00 p.m., Tuesday, two days after police raided the headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in downtown Seoul on Sunday in search of them. ... Police have deployed about 100 officers near the temple, seeking to arrest them for leading the “illegal” strike since Dec. 9. Thousands of workers joined the strike in protest of a decision by the company and the government’s to set up an affiliate which will run a new bullet train service separately. The union regards it as the first step to privatizing the state-run operator, which could lead to mass layoffs. The unionists’ who have taken refuge warned of an indefinite strike, following the surrounding of the temple by police who, for fear of a public backlash, are reluctant to raid a religious building. Religious places, such as Jogye Temple and Myeong-dong Cathedral, have previously been sanctuaries for unionists and activists protesting against the government. [/quote] [url=http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/12/116_148596.html]Korea Times[/url]

Longest thread title ever, but tells all you need to know for a general idea.

i guess president Park Geun-hye is living up to her reputation as the daugther of a dictator, gotta go against the ILO and arrest folks striking. [url]http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/south-korea-stop-arrests-trade-union-leaders-and-respect-workers-right-strike-2013-12-24[/url]

South Korea's really needs to settle down on the whole capitalism thing. Union busting and exploding suicide rates because of overwork and too much competition in school should be the line.

Also, the majority of SK businesses are hiring their brass from California, so what is even the fucking point of their overly competitive schools? [editline]26th December 2013[/editline] The South East Asian school systems stifles all creativity and sets students on the path to where they never think for themselves or of a solution, only look to what they already know. It's why a lot of SEA companies are hiring americans and Europeans.

Damn commies inciting revolution

Idiots votes in the saenuri party again and expect change for the everyday workers? Are they fucking serious? They've been warned several times with different protests and demonstrations against these ultra-conservative dipshits, then they're suddenly surprised that they don't like the common workers as usual? Lol.

[QUOTE=download;43312155]Damn commies inciting revolution[/QUOTE] No one expected North Korea's invasion to be from the inside :v:

Massive Railway Workers? I read that imagining rail workers over 300lbs

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;43311835]South Korea's really needs to settle down on the whole capitalism thing. Union busting and exploding suicide rates because of overwork and too much competition in school should be the line.[/QUOTE] south korea(mostly the older folks through) hate japan, yet they're awfully similar in many ways. japan is getting hosed due to the same issues, SK will likely go on the same path in a couple of decades.

[QUOTE=Wizards Court;43313050] japan is getting hosed due to the same issues, SK will likely go on the same path in a couple of decades.[/QUOTE] Asian cultures have had stronger work ethics for centuries. That isn't to say that they're better and don't also don't have their own problems.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;43311835]South Korea's really needs to settle down on the whole capitalism thing. Union busting and exploding suicide rates because of overwork and too much competition in school should be the line.[/QUOTE] Atleast IMF enforces these policies pretty hard, South Korea got under their boot in 1997. In Portugal the government has been pretty much ready to resign but the president wont accept the resignation because they are running through another right wing program to heal the economy and make even the cops riot and if they give up now the rising communist party will gain ground and IMF will shit their pants and close the cash valves.