"Stop Threatening with Use of Force and Solve the Problem"... Hope Bus Heads to Geoje

"No Allies Will Easily Fade Away Due to Illegal Stigmatization"
Composed of 68 Organizations... Labor and Civic Groups to Gather in Geoje on the 23rd

Officials of the '7.23 Daewoo Shipbuilding Subcontractor Workers Hope Bus' supporting the strike of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering subcontractor labor union held a press conference announcing detailed plans for the Hope Bus on the 19th in front of the Korea Development Bank in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The '7.23 Hope Bus' supporting the strike of subcontractor labor unions at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is heading to Geoje, Gyeongnam this weekend.

More than 40 civic groups, including the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), held a press conference on the morning of the 19th in front of the Industrial Bank of Korea in Yeouido to announce detailed plans for the '7.23 Daewoo Shipbuilding Subcontractor Workers Hope Bus.'

As of that day, 68 organizations had joined the Hope Bus. Passengers will board not only in Seoul but also nationwide from places such as Gyeonggi, Daegu, Gangneung, Chuncheon, Busan, Ulsan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, and Suncheon, departing on the 23rd from various locations. Sector and group buses such as the Baek Ki-wan Nonamegi Foundation Senior Bus, Social Strike Solidarity Fund Bus, and Rainbow Human Rights Bus will also operate.

Participants plan to gather at 2:30 PM on the 23rd in front of the west gate of Daewoo Shipbuilding in Geoje to hold a preliminary rally by the Metal Workers' Union, the main Hope Bus rally, and a hope boat launching event, before dispersing at 6:30 PM.

At the press conference, the Hope Bus organizers stated, "In 2016, five workers died at Daewoo Shipbuilding, which was named the worst murderous company, and this year, a subcontractor worker died at the Daewoo shipyard, leading to a search and seizure by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The right of subcontractor workers to unionize must be recognized."

Officials of the '7.23 Daewoo Shipbuilding Subcontractor Workers Hope Bus' supporting the strike of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering subcontractor labor union are performing at a press conference announcing detailed plans for the Hope Bus in front of the Korea Development Bank in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

They continued, "Yesterday, the government issued a joint statement from five ministries, branding Daewoo Shipbuilding subcontractor workers as illegal and threatening to claim civil and criminal damages," adding, "Public opinion among the people will not easily fade away due to illegal stigmatization."

They also urged, "There are no allies who will back down easily due to threats of public authority intervention, so stop the threats and work towards a resolution."

The Hope Bus first appeared 11 years ago during the Hanjin Heavy Industries incident and has since operated 14 times whenever major labor issues arose.

This Hope Bus was initiated at the request of Daewoo Shipbuilding in-house subcontractor workers, with Kim Jin-sook, a guiding committee member, and Father Moon Jeong-hyun stepping forward as representative proposers.

Father Moon said at the press conference, "The Hope Bus is the power that can awaken those in authority," adding, "This issue will be resolved only with the spirit of solidarity with suffering workers nationwide."

Earlier, about 120 union members of the Metal Workers' Union Geoje-Tongyeong-Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractor Branch have been striking at Daewoo Shipbuilding since the 2nd of last month, demanding a 30% wage increase, collective bargaining, and recognition of full-time union officials.

Since the 22nd of last month, they have occupied the 1st dock (where ships are built), seizing a super-large crude oil tanker under production. Yu Choi-an, the branch vice-chairman (40), has been continuing a prison-style protest by entering a 1㎥ steel structure and welding the entrance shut.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.