Another Spark from Punitive Measures against Labor Union of Public Servants

The disciplinary committees that were set up for those workers who supported the general strike led on by the National Labor Union for Public Servants (NLUPS) held its first meeting on November 22 in Daegu and Chungcheongbuk-do.

The NLUPS proclaimed that it will put up a fight against disciplinary measures, but there was no physical clash about the punishment on that day.

The city of Daegu held a disciplinary committee meeting on November 22 about the punitive measures for the 36 NLUPS members, including the head of NLUPS office for eastern region, Mr. Kim, who were arrested by the police for leading the strike.

The police placed around 30 police officers in front the government complex at Daegu where the meeting was held, but there was no physical altercation between the union members and the officers.

Chungcheongbuk-do`s disciplinary committee also held a meeting on the same day against 33 NLUPS members and held a hearing about the case of the subjects for disciplinary measures.

According to the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA), the disciplinary committees in seven other cities and provinces around the nation, including Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, Ulsan, Gangwon-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollanam-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, will be holding their meetings on November 23.

MOGAHA expects that the committee of Ulsan will have the most difficult time among others.

NLUPS Office at Ulsan City held an emergency representative meeting on November 22 and decided to hold a general members` meeting to denounce the disciplinary actions on November 23 in front of Ulsan City Hall at the time of the disciplinary committee meeting.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU) also announced that it will also put on a demonstration to stop disciplinary committee meetings on November 23. Meanwhile, the "Ulsan People`s Solidarity for the Abolition of the National Security Laws (NSL)" set up a camp for a sit-in since November 22 next to Ulsan City Hall for the "guarantee of the three labor rights of public servants and the abandonment of punitive act against public servants as well as the annulment of NSL".

The city of Ulsan has two or three other places set up for the meeting and is ready to request for police protection if needed in order to counter any actions held against holding the meeting put on by NLUPS or others.

The leaders of KCTU is encouraging the members to confront the head of the local governing bodies about their removal from office; to demand to withhold the meeting for punitive actions; to hold strifes during lunch hours; to protest by ignoring their removal; to protest in cyberspace to have Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Labor acknowledge the injustice of any punitive actions.

The government held a director-level meeting of the related departments headed by the assistant secretary of MOGAHA on the afternoon of November 22 and discussed the proper level of punishment against NULPS members.