In Commemoration of March 8 International Women's Day

 

National Women Workers Rally for
Employment Secruity and Expansion of Organization

No sex discriminatory retrenchment!

Reduce working hours! Create jobs!

In 1908, 15,000 women textile workers in the USA staged a groundbreaking and historical strike calling for the attainment of political equality, freedom of organization of unions and wage increases.


On Saturday, March 6, 1999, thousands of Korean women workers are gathering together at Youngdeugpo-gu Community Hall in Seoul in promotion of employment security and expansion of organization.



Aims

    1. It is to identify the current status and pending demands of women workers in commemoration of the 91st March 8 International Women's Day.

    2. It is to promote further cooperation and solidarity in women workers' movement by way of co-hosting between the two national trade union centers and two other women organizations.

    3. It is to foster public consensus on the reality of women workers who are generally marginalized in the society, thereby efficiently laying the groundwork to raise social awareness of the difficulties of women workers.

    4. It is to further our determination to solve the imminent issues of women workers such as employment and unemployment.

Main Issues Concerned

  • No gender-biased retrenchment!

    Immediately stop workforce reduction-oriented restructuring!
    Penalize unfair labor practices and implement measures for wage arrears!
    No backward adjustment towared maternity protection in the pretense of the economic crisis!
    Drop the implementation of performance evaluation system unfavorable to women workers in restructuring!
    Instantly stop the unfair exit of women-concentrated departments and jobs!

  • Reduce working hours! Create more Jobs!

    Implement the 40-hour work week right now!
    Expand the number of women labor inspectors!
    Create more public sector jobs and introduce a quota system for more women employment!
    Take stern actions against illegal discrimination in hiring!
    Abolish the preferential treatment given to those completed military service to guarantee equal employment opportunities!

  • No discrimination against non-regular workers!

    Cease the employment policy driving women workers out to non-regular jobs!
    Punish employers forcing regular women workers to land non-regular jobs!
    Ensure full application of the labor relations laws and the Social Insurance Act to all non-regular workers!
    Eradicate all discriminatory practices against and between regular and non-regular workers!

  • Establish measures for women's unemployment!

    Strengthen the function of public job placement centers to the full!
    Legislate a basic livelihood protection act and secure the minimal livelihood!
    Reduce armaments, reform the taxation system, confiscate chaebol owners' personal assets, and considerably expand the unemployment fund!
    Include women in assessments of the government's unemployment measures!
    Change public works projects into socially needed mid- to long-term employment!
    Drastically increase the payment days of unemployment benefits.

    Compile and announce the accurate and realistic statistics about women workers' unemployment situation!
    Immediately establish a job creation policy for newly unemployed women workers!
    Reinforce the administration capacity to deal with the expanded coverage of the Employment Insurance in realistic terms!

Rallies

    In Seoul :

      Rally in Seoul

      Time & Date: 2:30pm, Saturday, March 6, 1999
      Venue: Youngdeungpo-gu Community Hall
      Featuring a videotaped film: Women workers' labor movement trend in 1998
      Musical: Hope, a bright future (Performance group "O-reum")

    Regional rallies

    City

    Time & Date

    Venue

    Kwangju

    6:30 pm, March 9, 1999

    Grand Auditorium,YWCA

    Masan

    6:00 pm, March 10, 1999

    Ever Green Hall

    Inchon

    6:30 pm, March 11, 1999

    Grand Conference Room,

    Boo-pyung District

    Office (7th F1.)

    Chinju

    March 12, 1999

    Kyung Sang

    University (tentative)

    Pusan

    2:30 pm, March 13, 1999

    Small Auditorium, Civic Hall

    Ansan

    2:30 pm, March 14, 1999

    Grand Conference Room, Ansan Women Welfare Hall

    Cholla-pukdo

    2:50 pm, March 20, 1999

    Kunji Art Hall, Chon Puk University

     

    Herstory of the March 8 Rallies

    1. 1998 rally was proceeded in the following order :

    (1) Central Rally

      - Aims
      - Major issues concerned
      - Opening procession
      - Key note speech
      - Solidarity and congratulatory messages
      - Slide presentation
      - Original musical
      - Demands
      - Resolution
      - Street march

    (2) Regional rallies

    Area

    Content

    Inchon area

    Women workers in Inchon area towards employment security and social equality

    Kwangju area

    Social equality based on employment security

    Masan-Changwon area

    Rally of the workers in Masan-Changwon area for employment security and social equality

    Pusan area

    9th Pusan women's rally

     


    1994 - "Korean women workers' rally for social equality and employment stability"


    Part 1
    Opening speech/ Commemorative speech/ Solidarity messages/ Keynote speech

    Part 2
    Traditional song and dance performance
    Demand: "Immediately drop the plan to abolish menstrual leave!"
    Singing performance in celebration of March 8
    Monodrama, "Working women"
    Poetry reading, "A day of a hospital worker"
    Singing performance by "We"

    1994 women workers' declaration

 


1993 National women workers' rally-"Women workers standing up for their rights in the workplace"

    Part 1
    Opening speech/ Commemorative speech/ Solidarity messages from all over the world/     Special assertion on women's policy

    Part 2
    Special performances, "All gathered here", "Women in the workplace, growing children", and "Women as partners of the workplace and as half the world"

    Part 3
    Street march

     

1992 rally for the advancement of women workers

Part 1
Thinking of Kwon Mi-kyung - opening address / Assertion: "Let's make an all-out effort to protect our workplace from ever reinforced labor oppression."

Part 2
"Let's make it a pleasant workplace of lifetime" - Opening speech & solidarity messages / Musical / Presentation of an actual case: "Until the day we regain our deprived work clothes" / Skit performance / Singing performance / Resolution


1991 rally for the advancement of women workers - "To ensure the lifetime equal working right"

Part 1
Advancing women workers - slide presentation, opening speech & encouragement speech

Part 2
To ensure lifetime equal labor rights - assertion: "Obtain employment stability and ensure the lifetime working right" / Voices of married women workers / Skit performance by "Mother", "Right to work to mothers, right to be protected to children"

Part 3
"Women workers opening the new days of 1991" - traditional song and dance / Resolution in poem


1990 rally for the advancement of women workers - "Unite and advance for equal work and healthy maternity"

    Resolution

    Part 1
    Opening speech / Solidarity messages / Congratulatory speech / Introduction of the participating unions

    Part 2
    Selection the women workers' song of the year / Instigating speech- "Why in the world half the remuneration for the workers of the same qualification?"
    Case presentation - "We will travel to the end of the world to acquire our rights."/
    Musical - Worries on inflation and housing rent increase wrinkles on the face but..."/ Podtry reading / "Our utopia " by hospital workers / Play

 

1989 rally for the advancement of women workers - "Cut off the chain of discrimination, unite and advance!"

    Part 1 Opening session
    Traditional opening dance and procession / Selection of the song of the year

    Part 2 Forwarding session
    Presentation of successful struggle cases /
    Eloquence - "Toward the 1989 wage increase struggle" /
    Skit performance - "Precious maternity protection in the hands of women workers!" /
    Musical - "Workers' families, let's go together till the day of labor independence!"

    Part 3 Determination session
    Play - "Democratic union, our hope" / Resolution / Closing song and dance performance