President is on sit-down hunger strike

President elect Park, Guenhye and presdential must resinstate 137 KGEU dismissed workers and normalise labour relations in government sector including recognition KGEU!

Korean Government Employees' Union (KGEU) held a press conference in front of presidential transition committee office to urge them to solve KGEU related issues on Jan. 15.

KGEU Main demands are reinstatement 137 KGEU dismissed workers and recognition legal staus of KGEU as registered trade union for sound labour relations in governemnt sector.

President Kim, Jungnam has begun a sit-down hunger strike right after press conference and the strike has been on 9 days. The hunger strike will continue indefinately until the issues are solved.

Health condition of Kim, Jungnam is deteriorated.

However, the transition committee has neither talking with us nor reply to our demands.

Regarding to 137 dismissed workers as retaliation for legitimate union activities, special law on reinstatement of KGEU dismissed workers has been motioned on current National Assembly, and more then half of congressmen have signed motion of the special law. And the law is pending on bills examination subcommittee.

However, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, which is in charge of this issue, and government seem that they don't have no will at all to solve the problem.

The reinstatement issue is also related to legal status of KGEU as well.

Because the Ministry of Employement and Labour keeps insisiting to remove dismissed members from KGEU, and the Ministry has abused its authority to deny KGEU registration.

Government employees are ones who are in charge of quality public services.

If the transition committee and government want to have better public services and democratic society, they must take action to acknowlege KGEU as a social partner and principal agent.

Therefore, we strongly urge the transition committee and government to take a step to solve dismissed workers and legal status of KGEU now!