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The ITF, in co-ordination with the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), is urging member unions to organise solidarity actions from now until 1 July, ahead of the sentencing on 4 July of Han Sang-gyun, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
Mr Han has been convicted of eight charges brought by the Korean government and is likely to receive an eight-year sentence – simply for his legitimate participation in KCTU public rallies in 2015.
Following the 80,000-strong rally on 14 November, 538 KCTU leaders and members were arrested. Twenty remain in custody and 13 have been convicted and sentenced for between eight and 18 months. KCTU secretary general Lee Young-joo has been under self-imposed house arrest at the union’s headquarters since December in defiance of an arrest warrant against her.
In his letter to Korea’s president Park, ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said: “Criminal charges against union leaders and members are a clear violation of fundamental rights and in particular the right to freedom of association…We therefore urge your government to drop all charges against trade unionists for actions undertaken as part of their peaceful and legitimate trade union activities, including Han Sang-gyun and Lee Young-joo; and stop criminalisation of trade union leaders and activists.
“Moreover, we call on you to review the national legal framework in consultation with trade union and civil society organisations in order to prevent such abuses in the future.”
Mr Cotton has asked ITF unions - particularly those in OECD and G20 countries, of which Korea is a member – to use the model letter to protest to the Korean president.
The ITUC and KCTU have also requested that unions write to the Korean embassies in their countries, and ask their own governments to issue a statement of concern and to send their embassy/consulate representatives in Korea to observe Mr Han’s trial on 4 July. Send copies of your letters and actions to Mikyung Ryu, KCTU at ahora76@gmail.com and Monina Wong, ITUC at Monina.wong@ituc-csi.org
Read the statement on Korea by the UN special rapporteur Maina Kiai in January 2016 and his report to the UN Human Rights Council on 15 June 2016 (open the word document).
You can also support the IndustriALL/Labour Start online campaign http://www.labourstart.org/go/han demanding that Hyundai in Korea stop union busting now.