South Korea: 'Unite!' Thousands of workers chant in unison against govt-backed inequality

У вашего броузера проблема в совместимости с HTML5

Follow us on Telegram:
https://t.me/s/ruptlynews

Thousands of members of South Korea’s largest umbrella union, the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), rallied in Seoul on Saturday, demanding greater respect for workers’ rights from President Moon Jae-in.

Union members and supporters gathered in a large crowd, many of them chanting and whirling flags in unison with the drummers on stage,

Despite the South Korean President Jae-in promising better workers’ rights when elected in 2017, KCTU members and union leaders have criticised the current government for pushing ahead with what they see as an anti-worker, free trade programme.

Activists are calling for a halt to irregular employment and combined US-South Korea military exercises on the peninsula, a new anti-discrimination law, and for the government to scrap the National Security Act, legislation enforced since 1948 that is still used today to punish organizations deemed to “compromis[e] the safety of the State.”

SOUNDBITES:

SOT, Park Han-sik, National Farmers Federation (Korean): “Farmers cannot continue their livelihoods because of plummeting agricultural product prices due to imported products. To overcome this reality of farmers being unable to farm, we have come together today to unite and make changes with the power of the people.”

SOT, Moon Sung-hyun, helicopter mechanic (Korean): “There has always been trouble between labourers and management. Seeing too often how companies and corporations regulate and oppress the unions, I came here today in hopes of resolving labourers and management problems and I hope a president who considers our issues will be elected.”

SOT, Eom Mi-kyung, Homemaker (Korean): “Now especially more because of the coronavirus, the livelihoods of many people are being threatened. Minimum wage workers and non-regular workers are in the difficult situation of not knowing when they will be fired, and real estate prices are soaring.”

SOT, Eom Mi-kyung, Homemaker (Korean): “I came here today with hopes and expectations of raising our voices to make changes to the inequality present in our society.”

#SouthKorea

Video ID: 20220115-019

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20220115-019
Contact: [email protected]

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Ruptly
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ruptly