January 23, 2002
Unions throughout the World Call for the Release of Imprisoned Trade Unionists in Korea
January 22, 2002, trade unions and workers in over 30 countries converged on the Korean embassies and consulates in their respective countries to denounce the imprisonement trade unionists in Korea, to tell the Nobel Laureate President Kim Dae Jung "Shame on you!", and demanded the immediate release of KCTU president Dan Byung-ho, KCTU-KMWF President Mun Sung-hyun, and all imprisoned trade unionists.
Action in Australia
Sydney Rally Demands Release of Imprisoned Unionists in Korea
Trade
unionists rallied in Australia's largest city, Sydney, on 22 January
2002, as part of a global solidarity day of action aimed at highlighting
the continued detention of Dan Byong Ho and Mun Sung Hyun.
The rally called on the President of Korea, Kim Dae Jung, to release
these two leaders of the Korean labour movement along with over
600 other trade unionists who have been arrested in the last year.
Dan Byong Ho is president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
(KCTU), an organistation which was banned for many years under both
military and democratic governments in Korea. Mun
Sung Hyun is president of the Korean Metal Workers' Federation,
an affiliate of the KCTU. Both are serving two year sentences for
organising trade union activities.
Since the economic crisis of 1997/98, workers have had to bear the
costs of resturcturing under the policies of the International Monetary
Fund. Both leaders were imprisioned for undertaking activities which
were designed to protect workers through reducing the working week,
opposing the restructuring plans of the IMF and campaigning for
the rights of irregular workers, who now constitute 50 percent of
the Korean workforce.
Attending the rally in Sydney were unions affiated to PSI, IMF,
ICEM and IUF.