16.01.1997

Bosses’ clampdown reaches Korea

Our bosses have long told us that the so-called ‘tiger’ economies of Asia should be our role model - something to aspire to. For once, they were right. The determined and courageous struggle now being waged by Korean workers against the vicious onslaught being planned by the ruling class is a sterling example of class struggle.

The object of the workers’ hatred is president Kim Young-sam’s new labour law, which if placed in operation would amount to a gigantic erosion of workers’ rights and living conditions. Not surprisingly, the central slogan on the demonstrations is, “Abolish the evil law”. Such is the depth of feeling that over a third of a million people have joined the strikes and demonstrations, organised by the illegal Confederation of Trade Unions. Significantly, as the bourgeois media puts it, “ordinary people” have taken part in the demonstrations, not just radical students.

The current wave of dissatisfaction is convulsing the whole of society. The state prosecutors are taking the protests with the utmost seriousness. To date they have issued over 100 court summonses to union leaders to report for questioning - which have all been ignored.

President Kim’s new labour law will allow companies to lay off ‘surplus’ workers, hire temporary staff and replace strikers at will. The South Korean bourgeoisie is worried that the high growth rates, much admired by their western counterparts, are becoming difficult to sustain. Last year South Korea registered a record £12.5 billion trade deficit, scaring the hell out of the bosses.

Using typical boss-speak, Kim said workers and managers must “share the pain” of coping with the economic difficulties now besetting the country. Naturally, the ‘reforms’ are necessary to allow Korean businesses to compete in the world market. Sound familiar?

Kim’s ‘reforms’ have traumatised Korean workers, who are suddenly faced with the prospect of Filipino-like conditions. As part of the post-Korean War deal, South Korean workers were offered the compensation of ‘generous’ employment rights - ‘forget that you live under a repressive anti-communist dictatorship; at least you’ve got a job for life.’ Under the Labour Standards Act, South Korean workers could not be dismissed without ‘legitimate’ cause; were guaranteed severance pay equivalent to at least 30 days’ wages per year of service; the standard working week was limited to 44 hours; overtime was limited to 12 hours at time-and-a-half pay; paid annual leave was mandatory; and a whole host of other benefits. Women were even allowed one day a month with pay for menstrual leave. For the most part, this system of benefits - in combination, of course, with a general level of sustained state intimidation - was just enough to keep the lid on the situation.           

All this now looks destined for the dustbin. The massive industrial conglomerates, the chaebol - such as Daewoo, Samsung, Hyundai and Lucky Goldstar - have been pushing for these ‘reforms’ and have now got their way. Their employees are now to be discarded or super-exploited, as the world market alluringly beckons the chaebols.

Workers were also outraged at the clandestine and anti-democratic method used by president Kim to get his law through parliament. This was done by organising a secret meeting at 6.00am, attended only by members of the ruling New Korea Party. They took all of six minutes - without any debate, naturally - to ram through laws that were bitterly opposed by all the other parties, including legislation which gives sweeping new powers to the brutal Korean CIA. ‘Democracy’, the South Korean way. No wonder the Tories are so keen on it, not to mention New Labour.

The cruel irony is that the South Korean bosses want to impose the sort of anti-labour laws that we are all too familiar with in this country. Lucky Goldstar is in the process of setting up shop in Newport, more than doubling Korean investment in the UK to around £2.6 billion (encouraged by a £1.7 billion subsidy from the Welsh secretary, William Hague). You can see why if you read the Welsh Office’s recent briefing note on pay rates, which boasts that inward investors

“are attracted to the UK and Wales because of non-wage costs: for example, employers’ social security costs, pension and health contributions. These costs are lower in the UK than elsewhere in Europe” (quoted in The Independent January 13).

The labour movement in this country needs to wake up. The global hand of capitalist exploitation spares no one, whether it be workers in the ‘advanced’ countries or in the ‘third world’.

Workers of the world have no nationality.

Paul Greenaway