Si.Cobas
Solidarity to Korean truck drivers against employer and government repression! The Korean government, which had the president of the KCTU union arrested ahead of the general strike on 20 October, has now sent 3,600 police to attack truck drivers on strike against the SPC group (a large bakery products chain), which has cancelled two union agreements signed a few months ago; they have arrested more than 100 workers who are members of the KPTU-TruckSol transport union. This is a very serious attack, in which the ‘democratic'(!) state uses its monopoly of force to support the bosses against workers who have united to defend their conditions from exploitation by capital. In Korea, as in Italy and all over the world, governments support the bosses against workers. In the last month again, near Milan, large police forces have repeatedly attacked the pickets of the UNES warehouse workers, who have been suspended from work for over a month mbecause they went on strike. Not only that, but they also served 13 workers orders preventing them from reaching their workplaces, violating their right to work and protest. Their perseverance for more than a month in the struggle, and the solidarity of the other workers, forced the company to the negotiation table, as is also happening with the workers fired by Fedex in Piacenza, after months of struggle. SI Cobas expresses full solidarity with the KPTU-TruckSol union, which has been able to unite thousands of truck drivers despite the great difficulties that this sector presents, also in Italy, and has organised the struggle. We call for the immediate release of those arrested and condemn the Korean government’s brutal attack on the workers’ rightful struggle and their combative union. Let’s take solidarity initiatives with the Korean workers of KPTU-TruckSol and the KCTU on 20 October in front of the embassies/consulates of Korea! SI Cobas International Solidarity Committee https://kptu.net/english/detail.aspx?&idx=32873&bid=KPTU_PDSENG&fbclid=IwAR0tkqAN6cscCn8PzTIj8sTPmxDodf59m4FoW8iqLhfNvIW7nJMmlsagCio KPTU-TruckSol strike against SPC (one of Korean largest bakery chains) began on 15th September continues. SPC should stop anti-union behaviors on the trade union’s righteous demand to fulfill agreement now. The strike started on the 15th against SPC’s repeated breach of the CBAs and mass layoffs (termination of contract) is continuing nationwide. So far, more than 100 members have been arrested by the police, and warrants for one detainee (KPTU-TruckSol member) and three of KPTU-TruckSol officials are issued. On the 26th, 3,600 police officers were deployed in one of SPC factories so that the company could deliver wheat flour, but the company has not responded to the union’s call for negotiation. For the last 10 years, the sales of SPC have been growing continuously, in particular, the distribution sector. Despite increased workload, the transport workers who enabled the growth of the SPC are receiving the same payment for 10 years and still suffering from poor working conditions. They come to work at 1:00 in the morning, work 12 hours a day, and have to wait 3 to 4 hours in the truck nearby to the factories without having a rest facility. They are only allowed to take four days off a month, and if they take more than four days, it will be deducted from the next month’s day offs. Also the workers have endured excessive workload with loading/unloading six to seven hundred loaves of bread every day. In order to improve the situation, the KPTU-TruckSol had been at the negotiation table with SPC, and it finally was able to improve poor working conditions of the workers for the last two years. However, SPC has continued to breach an agreement signed with the KPTU-TruckSol DaeguKyeongbuk branch since July…
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[INTERNATIONALISM] Solidarity to Korean truck drivers against employer and governmente repression [eng – ita]