INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS (ICFTU) ICFTU ONLINE...
Brussels, January 9 1997 (ICFTU OnLine): Bill Jordan, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and Mia De Vits, General Secretary of the Belgium national trade union centre, the FGTB, will lead a protest outside the South Korean embassy in Brussels (11.30 am 173 Chauss�e de la Hulpe 1170 Brussels) about the treatment of workers in South Korea during protests following the adoption of new labour legislation. The two union leaders will hand in a letter to the Embassy asking President Kim Young-sam to repeal the new anti-labour legislation, to withdraw the arrest warrants issued for the seven trade union leaders, and instead to open dialogue with the labour movement.
On December 28, the ICFTU lodged a formal complaint against South Korea at the ILO, on the basis of the new legislation. Today, following the news of the government intention to arrest the trade union leaders, the ICFTU has called on the ILO to intervene with the authorities to prevent these arrests, which it has described as a "clear violation of the international right to strike".
This is one of a number of demonstrations and delegations which will be taking place throughout Europe by trade unions on January 10, following a call for action by the ICFTU. Unions in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland and the UK will be organising delegations and delivering letters.
An international trade union delegation, led by Takashi Izumi, general secretary of the ICFTU's Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation (ICFTU/APRO) will be in South Korea from Saturday, January 11 - 16, to seek meetings with the South Korean authorities, and to have talks with the leadership of the FKTU, and the KCTU, the two South Korean union bodies, and ICFTU affiliates.
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