The KIM Dae-Jung government and the NHIC
must stop its illegal repression of workers!
Korean Social Insurance Union (KSIU) represents workers of the National
Health Insurance Corporation.
Over the past 10 years, Korean people have been calling for reform of
Korea‘s inadequate health insurance system. We have been demanding the
unification of hundreds of medical insurance units to create a single
insurance system to provide comprehensive coverage for all. Such a system is
necessary to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of low-income workers, but
creating it requires significant reform and the expansion of the social
insurance system as a whole. The government and vested interest groups have
adamantly resisted such reform. KSIU, with its history of struggling for
health insurance reform, has suffered hundreds of arrests, layoffs, and
unjust disciplinary actions - but we, along with many civic groups, finally
achieved a single insurance system, as embodied in the NHIC.
Despite President KIM Dae-Jung’s having recently received Korea's first
Nobel peace prize, the lives of workers remains difficult. After receiving an
IMF bailout during the 1997 economic crisis, workers' lives became more
difficult than ever. The government orchestrated forceful restructuring of
companies under the pretext that the economic crisis was a result of high
costs, debt, and a rigid labor market. Capitalists, encouraged by this
policy, fired many workers from their jobs, cut wages, slackening
requirements for mass layoffs, increasing part-time jobs over regular jobs,
etc. Essentially, they used the economic crisis as a pretext for
consolidating their power over workers. These were cruel actions imposed on
workers, who were not blind to the collusion and corruption between ruling
politicians and business, irrational management resulting from protection of
chaebol inheritance, and the abuses of government-controlled finance. The
present government decided to adopt a neoliberal economic policy that would
force sacrifices on workers to overcome the crisis. Superficially, this
policy appears to have been successful, but the government and capital’s
assault on workers has continued.
NHIC(National Health Insurance Corporation) implemented the government
directive for restructuring beyond the required levels. As soon as the NHIC
president PARK Tae-Young was inaugurated, he maneuvered secret plans to make
unreasonable demands on the union to eventually lead to the collapse of
collective bargaining. Once collective bargaining broke down, he called in
police force to bust striking workers, then locked workers out from the
company and induced a long-term strike. All the while, he ignored demands for
sincere negotiation.
A similar string of incidents took place in the Lotte Hotel. Labor activists
believe that the government used Lotte and KSIU as model cases for how to
carry out smooth restructuring in the latter half of 2000. In addition to
these activities, the employers disregarded basic workers’ rights and
committed all kinds of illegal actions.
NHIC has committed illegal labor practices on many occasions. The following
are typical examples:
1. Neglecting the obligation to bargain in good faith and avoidance of
collective bargaining
2. Pressuring striking unionists to return to work and demanding the
replacement of union leaders
3. Unilaterally violating the collective agreement between KSIU and the
employer
4. Putting out advertisements in daily newspapers to criticize the trade
union and to circulate these advertisements on the internet
The following are typical examples of the government’s illegal activities:
1. Illegal police arrests of 1,606 people and injuries caused to 100 people,
among these were serious injuries.
2. Illegal disciplinary actions violating present laws: dismissals of 124
people and other disciplinary actions of 456 people
3. Refusal to negotiate, abuse of authority, and libel
4. Other numerous illegal actions, such as replacing striking workers, etc.
These illegal and unjust actions have been carried out at a public
institution under the government’s direct supervision. These incidents are
the result of the government' own will and determination. In the process, 9
KSIU unionists were imprisoned and 6 unionists have warrants out for their
arrest. Of course, no one from the employer side has been punished, even
though the NHIC management has aggressively committed illegal actions. The
irony is that the basic human rights of workers are thoroughly repressed in a
country where the President prides himself as a human rights activist and
received the Nobel Peace Prize.
KSIU unionists are determined to fight to the end against the government and
NHIC’s illegal and unjust repression. We seek your interest and solidarity
in our struggle.
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