On the morning of Nov. 6 (Friday) the South Korean police attempted a
raid on the headquarters of the KCTU-Korean Public Service an Transport
Workers' Union (KPTU). The police used the pretext of a high altitude protest
being carried out by striking KPTU-Cargo Truckers Solidarity Division
(KPTU-TrucSol) owner driver members who haul goods for the food products
company Pulmuone. Some 200 police were mobilised in the action.
In addition to taking files from the TruckSol office on the 2nd
floor of the KPTU's building, police violated the spaces of unrelated KPTU
affiliates and attempt to raid upper floors housing the KPTU secretariat and
other KPTU-affiliated institutions, but were stopped by protesting union
officers and members and supporters.
KPTU-TruckSol has been fighting for a system of standard rates
and client responsibility to protect truck drivers and other road users for
over a decade. Pulmuone members went on strike on 4 September against the
client (cargo owner) Pulmuone calling for union recognition and for Pulmuone to
take responsibility for safe and fair rates and conditions. Instead of
listening to these just calls, the government and police have chosen the route
of repression against Pulmuone drivers, KPTU-TruckSol and KPTU as a whole. The
raid today is likely not the end. Arrest warrants have been issues for some
dozen KPTU-TruckSol officers and members.
This attack has taken place in the context of an attempt to
suppress the democratic labour movement ahead of mass worker protests scheduled
for November 14 and further strike action later in the year against the Park
Geun-hye government's labour market reform polices.
We will not back down in the face of this intimidation. The
Pulmuone workers' strike and high-altitude protest go on, as do plans for Nov.
14.
We demand that the government and police stop their repression
against Pulmuone drivers and KPTU-TruckSol! We demand that they apologise for
the unfounded and excessive raid on the KPTU office!
Footage from
the raid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9VPPW8dK_g&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
--
임월산 (Wol-san Liem)
국제국장민주노총 공공운수노조
Director of International Affairs
Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU)
Intl Dept Kptu kptu.intl@gmail.com
