Police break up second E-Land sit-in
Talks ended without any progress
Jo Tae-Guen
입력 2007-08-05 13:22:55 수정 2007-08-05 14:39:40
Thousands of police again raided a discount store in Seoul on 31 Jul to disperse workers who have been holding a sit-in strike for the past three days calling for the reinstatement of dismissed non-regular workers.
About 5000 police officers removed some 200 striking unionized workers from E-Land on the day.
The protest by the union began after E-Land, one of the nation's major retailers, laid off more than 900 non-regular employees at its Homever and New Core stores before the country's new labor law regarding them took effect this month.
"Police Raided E-Land Unioinists again"
The law, which went into effect on July 1, obliges companies to reassign non-regular employees who have been working for more than two years to regular worker status.
Police had raided two E-land outlets in Sangam-dong and Gangnam on July 20 to end a month-long sit-in strike. The unionists firm on their demand, however, reoccupied an outlet in Gangnam before dawn Sunday as negotiations with management ended in failure.
The workers chanted slogans such as 'End discrimination against non-regular workers' and 'We denounce forced dispersion.'
The police also hauled away five officials from the progressive Democratic Labor Party who had joined the sit-in protest along with the striking workers.
Unionists and labor groups made it clear that they would continue their struggle until their demands are met.
Earlier on 29 Jul members of the union launched second sit-in at New Core outlet in Seocho. Unionists had planned to continue the demonstration indefinitely until their demands are met, as management calls for an end to the sit-in and a resumption of negotiations.
Approximately 500 unionists belonging to E-Land, New Core and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the nation’s two umbrella labor organizations, occupied the outlet by blocking cash desks with carts.
Labor and management of E-Land Group restarted talks later in the afternoon on July 31, following the police crackdown, 12 days after the first round of negotiations had broken down on July 19. But they failed to find common ground and the talks ended without any progress.
The talks are scheduled to resume on 5 Aug.
About 5000 police officers removed some 200 striking unionized workers from E-Land on the day.
The protest by the union began after E-Land, one of the nation's major retailers, laid off more than 900 non-regular employees at its Homever and New Core stores before the country's new labor law regarding them took effect this month.
The law, which went into effect on July 1, obliges companies to reassign non-regular employees who have been working for more than two years to regular worker status.
Police had raided two E-land outlets in Sangam-dong and Gangnam on July 20 to end a month-long sit-in strike. The unionists firm on their demand, however, reoccupied an outlet in Gangnam before dawn Sunday as negotiations with management ended in failure.
The workers chanted slogans such as 'End discrimination against non-regular workers' and 'We denounce forced dispersion.'
The police also hauled away five officials from the progressive Democratic Labor Party who had joined the sit-in protest along with the striking workers.
Unionists and labor groups made it clear that they would continue their struggle until their demands are met.
Earlier on 29 Jul members of the union launched second sit-in at New Core outlet in Seocho. Unionists had planned to continue the demonstration indefinitely until their demands are met, as management calls for an end to the sit-in and a resumption of negotiations.
Approximately 500 unionists belonging to E-Land, New Core and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the nation’s two umbrella labor organizations, occupied the outlet by blocking cash desks with carts.
Labor and management of E-Land Group restarted talks later in the afternoon on July 31, following the police crackdown, 12 days after the first round of negotiations had broken down on July 19. But they failed to find common ground and the talks ended without any progress.
The talks are scheduled to resume on 5 Aug.
Jo Tae-Guen
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