Arrest Warrant for 37 Union Leaders from 3 Unions

Judging the general strike of the three core public industry including Railway, Electric Power, and Gas illegal, the government requested for arrest warrants for the 37 union leaders yesterday.

Prime Minister Lee Han-Dong released an `Appeal To the Nation` which reads ¡°those industries are of core public industry that strikes are strictly restricted and this strike is the illegal strike that lacks the legal justification of its purpose and process.¡°

Prime Minister Lee pointed out, ¡°the two umbrella unions are leading the illegal general strikes to request for unreasonable demand, taking `the foot of people` `the power of nation` and `the cozy life of citizens` as hostages.¡°

He also emphasized that ¡°the government will apply `the principle to punish every violation` to the leaders of this illegal general strike.¡°

The Public Security of the Supreme Public Prosecution requested for arrest warrants of 15 railway unionists, 10 gas union leaders, 12 electric power union leaders for the violation of labor laws and the interference in the operation and will deploy arrest team as soon as the warrants are issued.

The Prosecution announced that the three unions began strikes for the annulment of the privatization policy of the public sectors but the restructuring is not an object of disputes. And the strikes of Gas and Electric power violated the regulation that prohibit strikes during the 15 day suspension period after transferring to Korea Labor Relations Commission

A prosecution source said, ¡°if the strikes are expanded, the more unionists will be arrested. In such case, the prosecution will thoroughly investigate and punish unrevealed supporters as well including the unionists who participate in temporary strikes in addition to the leaders of the strikes.¡°

Meanwhile, Korean National Railroad filed a lawsuit against 16 union leaders including Kim Jae-Yol, the chairperson of KRU (36), for the charge of the interference in the business operation and ordered the strikers to return to their workshop.

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