Despite years of anti-labour laws, government attacks on unions, workplace restructuring and labour “flexibility”, the huge turnout for 2011 May Day celebrations shows that South Korean organised labour is still a force to be reckoned with.
On May 1, huge numbers of workers took to the streets for May Day protests across Seoul. Police estimated the crowd at more than 58,000 — making it the largest 2011 May Day rally in Asia.
The main demands of the rally were for better workplace security and an end to the casualisation of labour.
As it stands now, more than 50% of Korean workers are irregulars. This process of casualisation began during the Asian economic crisis of 1998 by the Kim Dae Jung administration as a condition imposed by the International Monetary Fund in return for bailout money.
Casual workers have no job security, no benefits, and on average they get paid 50% less than their regular counterparts for the same work.
The casualisation of the workplace has also been a method of dismantling union activity. It is much harder to organise united union actions in workplaces where the employees are hired by several labour hire companies and have no security against dismissal.
The May Day turnout is positive. Now it is up to the workers and union leaders to turn this impressive turnout into real action.
The Seoul Migrant Trade Union held its own May Day rally in Bosingak square, from where they marched to join the main Korean Confederation of Trade Unions rally in City Hall. They chanted “We are workers, we are not slaves!” as they marched downtown.
The MTU was formed in 2005 by Asian migrant workers who are in South Korea to work in menial jobs for low pay. Most of these workers come from the Philippines, Vietnam and the subcontinent.
These workers make up a super-exploited subsection of the working class and perform what are called “3D jobs” — dirty, dangerous and difficult work.
The MTU is not recognised as a legal union and its leaders are routinely targeted for deportation.
The MTU rally called for the legalisation of all undocumented migrant workers, an end to the violent crackdowns of so called “illegal” workers, an end to the current employment permit system that binds migrant workers to their employers by limiting the number of allowed job changes and thus limiting workers’ rights to bargain.
The MTU’s May Day statement demanded:
* Sanction the registration of the MTU and stop the repression of the union and its leaders.
* Stop the crackdown and deportations. Legalise all the undocumented migrant workers.
* Guarantee the complete free travel, stay and employment of overseas workers.
* Stop the trafficking of women, discrimination, exploitation and violence against all women including migrants and workers.
* Change Employment Permit System to a Work Permit System.
* Guarantee May Day as a day off for all workers.
Raise the minimum wage and realise equal pay for equal work.