The First General Strike by Foreign Laborers

100 illegal immigrant laborers held a strike for 3 days insisting on pay for their delayed wages.

100 foreign laborers, who work for Amor Furniture Co. in Whahyun-ri Whahyun-myon, Pocheon-gun Gyunggi-do, went on strike on the afternoon of the 21st insisting that they pay be paid for 200 million won of wages for 2 months of November and December last year. The operation of the factory stopped until the afternoon of the 24th.

The foreign laborers and the Joint Committee for Migrant Workers in Korea urged, "We once had a strike in last August for delayed wages. We couldn`t stand it any more because we used up our living expenses and couldn`t send any money to our home country."

Representatives of the laborers and the company agreed on the 24th through 4 meetings that the company should pay all the delayed wages for 2 months by the 25th and the company will not ask about the responsibility for the strike. Hence, the foreign laborers will start working as soon as the delayed wages are paid.

At first, the company promised to pay the delayed wages for November on February 9th, and for December on April 15th due to fund problems, and not to delay the wages from this year, but moved up the payment much earlier because the laborers stood firm against this.

The Ministry of Labor decided to book Mr. Son representative of the company on a charge of violating the Labor Standard Act, and to supervise whether the agreement is well executed.

Amor Furniture Co. has about 100 workers from 9 other countries including Russia and Uzbekistan (30 persons from each), Iran (13), Nigeria (9) and Rumania (6) almost all of whom are illegal sojourners. The number of foreign workers who are staying in Korea illegally are estimated to be up to 250,000 persons by the end of last year.

Meanwhile, the State Coordination Office under the Prime Minister is reportedly consulting with related departments including the Ministry of Legislation and the Ministry of Labor to allow temporary residence for illegal immigrant workers who have registered themselves during the Korea-Japan World Cup.

Jin Lee leej@donga.com