KHMU INFO 6, May 2014
On May Day event “Let us converge our furious mind to step forward beyond our grieves”
KHMU reaffirmed that the tragedy is due to the
government's excessive deregulations and, therefore, it urges the suspension of
the commercialization and privatization of healthcare
Korean
Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU) held the 124th May Day
commemorative event on May 1 in fifteen major cities in South Korea including Seoul.
KCTU announced Five-point Demands with regard to the sinking of ferry, Sewol,
and Eleven-point Rally Demands, which include the resignation of the Park, Geun
Hye administration.
Ø KHMU members in May Day event on May
1
KCTU
demanded as follows in an effort to resolve the tragic accident: △ President Park should take
responsibilities for the sinking of ferry, Sewol, which was led by the
government's overall incompetence and lax administrative control △Implementing a paid vacation system
in times of crisis for the victims and their families △ Instant suspension on privatization and
deregulation policies, which prioritize profits ahead of people's lives △ Reinforcing punishment against
business owners responsible for serious disasters or fatal accidents with an
enactment of capital-slaughter law △ Enforcement of laws that prohibit
exploiting non-regular workers in permanent jobs.
In
the event, KCTU unveiled Eleven-Point Demands as follows: △ the resignation of President Park
administration △ Halt on the labor repression and guarantee on the basic
legal rights of labor. △ Stopping privatization and recession
in basic pension pledge △ Attaining paid vacation of every
worker in May day △Abolishing prolonged labor and shortening practical working hours
△ Elimination of non-regular positions and conversion of them
into regular positions △ Rationalization of minimum wage
and
normalization of the ordinary wage △ Blocking wrongful normalization in
public sector △ Sacking the chief of National Intelligence Service (NIS) and
calling on dismantlement of NIS in order to secure the value of democracy △Strengthening the
responsibilities
of Industrial safety authorities and reinforcing industrial disaster penalty
law △ Discarding Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deals.
Ø On May 1, KHMU Marching on the
street, exclaiming "Collapsed crisis management system! Breakdown in healthcare
due to the privatization! For whom is the government intended"
The
event was held in Seoul, starting at 14:00 PM at Seoul station, and about
10,000 workers marched to Seoul Plaza and there in the combined tribute altar
did they pay tribute to the victims of the sinking ferry with their flags down.
At
the venue, a large-scale placard was put up, exclaiming <For whom does this
country exist? Stop murdering!> and protesters were carrying out hand-sized banners,
saying <Outrage beyond the deepened sorrow>, <We deserve better, Ms.
President!>.
Participant organizations tied yellow ribbons atop the flags.
Members
in KCTU also wore yellow and black ribbons to express their condolences as well
as their desperate hope for the victims and their families of the sinking
ferry.
KHMU
will have an all-out strike on June against the privatization of healthcare.
Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU, president: Yoo, Ji-hyun) held a street event and signature-collection campaign at Seoul Station after one o'clock on May 1, as part of publicizing efforts to let people know about expected problems of privatization in healthcare system along with the Headquarters of Pan-National Movement for deterring healthcare privatization and reinforcing public access to it.
Ø One o'clock on May 1, signature
collection campaign at Seoul.
KHMU
has been conducting a million's signature campaign against the privatization of
healthcare, and 300,000 people has already participated in it in late April.
In
addition, KHMU marched on the street at the event, carrying out placards which
say <Collapsed crisis management system! Breakdown in healthcare due to the
privatization! For whom is the government intended?>
Prior
to the event, KHMU hosted temporal delegates meeting on April 30, and detailed
2014 bargaining and fight plans and decided to raise a fund for fighting against
the privatization of healthcare. In the special statement they elaborated, they
resolved △ to urge full-scale fact-finding and truth ascertainment over
the sinking ferry △ to urge thorough reforms in government policies with regard
to their neglects of fundamental obligations of securing people's safety and
lives and their attempts to reduce the health and medical field to just a profit-seeking
market △ to reflect public determinations including deterrence on the
privatization of healthcare and enhancement of public access to healthcare.
KHMU confirmed that every affiliate determined to register a mediation application
on June 5th and participate in the general strike on June 23.
Ø On April 30, at KHMU temporal
national congress
President
Yoo, Ji-hyun stated on that day, pointing out "Calamity caused by capital
avarice, excessive deregulation, safety frigidity, incompetence and
irresponsibility shall not be repeated." And He added, "The
government's healthcare privatization policy will only end up with nothing but abandonment
of people's lives," and "we should commence our fight for nullifying
it since it regards people's health and lives as a profit model."
Meanwhile,
on May 1, members of labor and non-government organizations such as KHMU, KCTU,
the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, and the Korean House for International
Solidarity held a press conference in front of Thailand embassy to Seoul, urging
the Thailand government to release Somyot immediately and revoke Lease Majeste
law in violation of human rights. Devoted activist for Democracy, labor agitator
and journalist, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk got detained by coup d'état military
authorities on April 30, 2011 for violation of the ridiculous law. The
judiciary in Thailand had sentenced the activist to 11 years of imprisonment
and he has been behind bars for three years.
Attendees urged Thailand authorities to free Somyot and all political prisoners and abolish Lease Majeste Law in Thailand
<Video
Clips Description>
Ø On April 10, the rally against the
privatization of the railway and medical industry in front of the National
Assembly
Ø On May 1, a press
conference held for the release of Somyot.
KHMU joined a press conference, urging Thailand authorities t...
