Uri Party's Kim Young Joo and Democratic Labor Party (DLP) members Dan Byung Ho and Jo Seoung Soo, all members of a National Assembly group called the "Assembly Study Group on Implementing Basic Labor Rights," are strongly attacking the Labor Ministry for finding Hyundai Motors violated laws on dispatched workers and yet essentially neglecting the issue. It shows you how far off course the Labor Ministry is these days when even a member of the ruling party joins a press conference to criticize it.
The legislators recently went to Ulsan to investigate the situation there for themselves note that the ministry filed a complaint about Hyundai Motors' illegal activity with the local police but then did not pursue any follow-up measures, and it did not demand that the management formally hire the workers dispatched to work there. Indeed, after complaining to the police last year the ministry has watched idly even when there was an incident of violent bloodshed against Hyundai's irregular workers.
The three legislators revealed that the ministry filed its complaint but never gave the police the supporting documentation, and allege that both the police and the management knew conspired ahead of time in the course of the "arrest" of the head of the irregular workers' labor union. They even noted that it did not investigate the wrongful labor practices of the management against the union. They say that if they illegalities are not suitably resolved they are going to call in those involved to testify at April's session of the Assembly for an official inquiry by the Environment and Labor Committee. Though late in coming it is welcome news to see something happening at the Assembly level. We applaud the work of these three legislators.
The Hankyroeh has already called for an inquiry into how the head of the irregular union was beaten and arrested and criticized the Labor Ministry for maintaining silence when irregular workers are having their legitimate demands suppressed. When it does nothing to correct the situation, to the point where a member of the ruling party has to go and engage in an on-site investigation, one wants to ask one question. How long will labor minister Kim Dae Hwan go on "reading scriptures to a cow"?
The Hankyoreh, 15 March 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] When Ruling Party Member Attacks Labor Ministry |
