Some 10,000 South Korean union activists staged a rally in central Seoul on Tuesday to oppose layoffs as President Kim Dae-Jung urged his cabinet to step up corporate reforms.
Protestors shouted anti-government slogans and called on the president to stop forcing workers to take the brunt of economic reforms. "No more layoffs. Our livelihood must be protected," read one banner.
This was the first joint rally by members of the two main labor groups -- the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Trade Unons.
Thousands of riot police were deployed in nearby areas but did not intervene.
Leaders from the two federations, which have 1.6 million supporters in auto, shipbuilding and other key industries, pledged a joint campaign to protect jobs.
But Kim urged unions to support his crusade to reform debt-stricken firms, saying the government would create a better social safety net for those who lose jobs.
"Reforms inevitably cause layoffs. We need thorough steps such as unemployment allowances and job training," Kim told a cabinet meeting.
The president has launched a bold reform drive to clean up debt-stricken banks and firms since South Korea slipped into crisis in late 1997 and took a 58-billion dollar bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
But he faces mounting labor protests as tens of thousands of people have been made redundant -- SEOUL (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
