During his press
conference speech, President Kim commented, “It is all too clear that if the
Suseo KTX is separated from the Korail, the next step will privatization with
the goal of profits for private capital. The result of this will be a worsening
of the financial circumstances of the Korail. Following, the government plans
to separate freight transport, rolling stock maintenance and infrastructure
maintenance from the Korail, leading the way to private involvement in these
areas as well. The government also plans to open operation of 8 local lines to
private tendering.” Referring to President Park Geun-hye’s recent trip to
France, President Kim also commented, “While she made promises not to pursue
rail privatization during her elections campaign, in France Park Geun-hye
promised to open the rail and subway markets to foreign capital.
“President Park
must keep her commitments to the Korean people,” he concluded.
Following
President Kim, Sang Moo Lee, President of the Korean Federation of Public
Services and Transportation Workers’ Unions (KPTU) to which the KRWU is
affiliated, spoke emphasizing that lessons of UK rail privatization. “We can see
from the UK case that fragmentation and privatization leads to increasing fares
and safety risks, the reduction of local services and increase in the railway’s
deficit,” he noted. After him, KCTU President Seung-cheol Kim calling the
KRWU’s strike, “just and legal” and announced KCTU’s plans to hold solidarity
strikes in support.
Through a video
message ITF Rail Secretary Chair Oystein Aslasken promised ITF plans to
coordinate solidarity actions including a day of action and sending a
delegation of representatives from ITFs and its affiliates to South Korea to
monitor the government and employer’s response to the strike beginning on
December 11.
Some Korail Officers Express Sympathy for KRWU’s
Demands
Railway workers’
rage at the government’s rail privatization plan is spreading through the
country. This anger has grown more intense since Korail CEO and President
Yeon-hye Choi bent to the government pressure and made clear her attentions to
move forward with the splitting off of the Suseo KTX.
Now, around the
countries members and officers of the KRWU are committing themselves to protect
Korea’s public railway. In addition, for the last several days several Korail
officials have been posting comments to the KRWU’s webpage voicing their
opposition to the privatization plan, demonstrating the fact that even Korail
management is wary of the government’s unilateral policy.
One person using
the nickname ‘embarrassed,’ left the following comment: “There were seafarers
who put their lives on the line during Korea’s struggle for independence... We
must defend the railway! Please don’t waiver!” Even leading into the strike
there is growing agreement between workers and managers about the problems of
privatization.
Building up to the Strike around the Country!
In the build up
to its anti-privatization strike, the KRWU held simultaneous protest around the
country on November 30. Protests were held in Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Gwangju
and Yeongju. 1800 member participated in Seoul and 7000 around the country. In
addition, 922 local support committees around the country are preparing to
carry out relay press conferences, religious services and protest visits to
government offices around the country to support the KRWU’s strike. On the same
day KRWU President Myoung-hwan issued instructions to members to begin wearing
strike vest to work and holding daytime protest encampments on 2 Dec., extend
the protest encampments to 24-hours from 5 Dec. and to stay alert to the strike
could begin in full on 9 Dec.
This article can be found
at: http://www.kptu.net/mboard.asp?Action=view&strBoardID=KPTU_PDSENG&intPage=1&intCategory=0&strSearchCategory=|s_name|s_subject|&strSearchWord=&intSeq=11870
-advice from
임월산 (Wol-san Liem)
국제국장민주노총 공공운수노조.연맹
Director of International Affairs
Korean Federation of Public Services and Transportation Workers' Unions (KPTU)
