"Breaking Inequality" Minnocho, 3,000 People Total Strike Protest in Gwangju

Simultaneous Protests Held at 14 Locations Nationwide Including Gwangju
Voices Urging Abolition of Irregular Jobs and Job Security

49 People Violate Quarantine Rules in 'Split Gatherings' Across Locations
City Plans Strong Response with Admin

The Gwangju Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a 10·20 general strike rally at Gwangju City Hall on the afternoon of the 20th, calling for the dismantling of the inequality system.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] The Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) launched a large-scale general strike highlighting labor issues such as the abolition of irregular employment.

On the 20th, the KCTU Gwangju branch held a general strike rally titled 'Overcoming Inequality and a Great Transition to an Equal Society' around 2 p.m. on the road in front of Gwangju City Hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju, with an estimated 3,000 union members attending, according to the organizers.

The rally was held simultaneously in 14 regions nationwide under themes such as 'Abolishing Discrimination in Workplaces with Fewer Than Five Employees' and 'Securing Workers' Right to Unionize.'

The KCTU Gwangju branch demanded ▲ the abolition of irregular employment, ▲ the elimination of discrimination against workplaces with fewer than five employees, ▲ securing workers' rights to unionize, ▲ stopping unilateral dismissals and restructuring, ▲ recovering unearned income from real estate speculation and expanding public rental housing, and ▲ calling for the dismantling of the inequality system and the promotion of an equal society.

The union stated, "Over the past five years, polarization caused by inequality and unfairness in Korean society has deepened, and the lives of workers and the public have become more impoverished," adding, "We can no longer endure the inequality system with patience alone."

They continued, "We must abolish irregular employment, the hotbed of inequality and discrimination, and apply the Labor Standards Act and the Trade Union Act to all workers," raising their voices, "The 10 million irregular workers are treated like disposable consumables, machines solely for capital profit."

They also appealed, "The government and capital have mass-produced special employment workers to legitimize exploitation and evade responsibility, and have pushed the expanding platform workers outside the protection of the Labor Standards Act."

Members of the Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions are marching a 1.1km route up to the Democratic Party of Korea's Gwangju city office.

They said, "We demand a just industrial transition and that the state guarantee jobs for workers," emphasizing, "In the rosy future of the climate crisis, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and digital transformation, there is no place for workers. We demand a just transition where the state holds capital accountable for the crisis and guarantees jobs and survival for workers and the public."

Furthermore, they argued, "Publicness in housing, education, healthcare, care, and transportation must be strengthened," and "Housing policies, which have become targets of speculation and unearned income, must be completely revised to guarantee public rental housing for anyone without a home."

Finally, they added, "We must abolish university hierarchies and provide free university education to liberate growing youth from the hell of entrance exams and relieve the parent generation from tuition burdens."

After the rally, a march took place along a 1.1 km route from Gwangju City Hall to the Democratic Party of Korea’s Gwangju branch office.

At the scene, about 500 police officers and around 80 personnel from Seo-gu district office, the local authority, were deployed to enforce quarantine rules and crack down on violations.

The quarantine authorities considered the gathering of 49 people as a violation of quarantine rules due to 'splitting the assembly' and deemed it an illegal assembly. A quarantine official stated, "Despite requests to disperse, participants did not comply," adding, "We plan to respond strongly, including fines, after consultation with the labor-related departments."