hankyoreh

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Some 10,000 labor, human rights and religious figures and netizens from about 200 labor, civic and religious groups announced yesterday a declaration calling for the creation of a “world without irregular workers.” The group they formed, “10,000 Persons, 10,000 Actions to Build a World Without Irregular Workers,” convened a press conference in front of Jogyesa Temple in Seoul’s Jongno-gu yesterday to announce the “10,000 Person Declaration to Abolish the Irregular Worker System.” Some 10,349 participated in the “10,000 Person Declaration Movement,” including Lee So-seon, the mother of martyred labor activist Chun Tae-il, and Unification Issue Research Center Director and former democracy movement leader Paek Ki-wan.

Participants said in their declaration that a person’s right to enjoy the fruits of their labor and dream of a future was collapsing in the name of the irregular worker system, and that the continued existence of the system, which was solidifying social polarization, was unethical and antisocial. They called on all citizens to come forward to completely banish the irregular worker system, which they termed, “mad cow disease for the workplace.” Criticizing the government’s ignoring irregular laborers who “have been fighting for hundreds, thousands of days,” the declaration called for a resolution to the long-running workplace disputes involving irregular workers at Kiryung Electronics, Koscom, E-Land and KTX and the abolishment of the irregular worker system from all workplaces. It also called for the abolishment of laws harmful to irregular workers, the guarantee of the basic labor rights of workers who are not recognized as such, the guarantee of rights for migrant workers, and the recognition workers indirectly hired by outsourcing companies are actually employed by the company at which the work is done.

Lee So-seon said at the press conference that she came forward due to the misery of a reality in which people who made money from real estate live well while laborers who work hundreds or thousands of days cannot make ends meet.

Park Sun-gyeong, an honorary professor at Ewha Womans University, said to ignore the irregular worker issue was to lose sight of ones responsibility for oneself and history.

Meanwhile, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference and rally in front of the Sejong Center in Gwanghwamun on Tuesday afternoon calling for the resolution of long-term workplace disputes involving irregular workers. Some 2,000 unionists were in attendance. From 7:00 p.m., a candlelight demonstration was held at Cheonggyecheon Plaza, with candlelight demonstrations also taking place in the city centers of Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan and Jeonju.

Participants in the declaration movement also collected 5,000 won per person and placed a full-page advertisement in yesterday’s print edition of The Hankyoreh. The remaining money was given as aid to irregular workers involved in long-term disputes.

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