According to multiple Korean news sources about 87,000 unionists, including autoworkers of Hyundai and Kia, metal workers, and textile employees staged strikes on Tuesday. Chosun Ilbo, the nation's largest paper noted the strikes by Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KTCU) "kicked off their annual union strikes."
I find it interesting that the striking workers were not only demanding wage hikes and better working conditions, but also protesting the government plan to send 3,000 more soldiers to Iraq.
Korean authorities said the strikes designed to oppose the troop dispatch plan are illegal, vowing to take stern action against unionists who go on strike to call for the scrapping of the plan.
KCTU chairman Lee Soo-ho said.
``We'll make the government retract the plan through anti-war demonstrations. We oppose the troop dispatch as we fear someone will become a victim like South Korean hostage Kim Sun-il''
Following a partial walkout on Friday and Monday, 10,000 Hyundai Motor workers fully stopped working on Tuesday and will continue the strike on Wednesday. Unionists of Kia Motors halted their work for 12 hours and Ssangyong Motor for 8 hours.
Autoworkers of Kia plan to set a partial work stoppage for two hours from today through Friday and a full-pledged strike on July 7 unless the management accepts their demands.
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest automaker, said it has lost about $140 million in sales because its union workers have been walking off the production line since Friday.
Hyundai Motor offical said it lost the production of 11,559 Sonata Sedans, Santa Fe sport utility vehicles and other models after its workers. Hyundai also noted that exports by the Seoul-based carmaker might be hurt by the strikes.
Meanwhile, a strike by 2,700 KorAm Bank workers continued their walkout for five days in a row Tuesday, demanding a pay raise and job guarantees following the merger with Citigroup. Apparently, this strike by predominately white-collar workers had no anti-war aspect.
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