Sexual Harrassment and Unfair Dismissal of Female Worker at Hyundai Motors, please show support

Dear friends,

You may have already seen and responded to this email. I apologize for
multiple postings.

The case described below has gotten a great deal of attention S. Korea
and now around the world. The victim in the case, Ms. Park, has been
struggle for redress for many months. The coalition supporting here is
hoping that international solidarity will help make it possible to win
the case by the end of the year.

My organization, People's Solidarity for Social Progress (PSSP), has
been participating in the Coalition to Support the Irregular Woman
Workers' Sit-in Protest against Sexual Harassment and Unfair Dismissal
at the Hyundai Motor Asan Factory. This Coalition includes the Korean
Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Seoul Regional Council, the KCTU
Women's Committee, the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), the Korean
Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU) and several
progressive political parties and civil society organizations.

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This is a solidarity letter to support a woman worker who has been
sexually harassed by her managers, and unfairly dismissed at a
subcontractor of Hyundai Motor. She has been holding a sit-in struggle
in front of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family from June.

The health of a courageous woman is at stake in this case. This
solidarity action, however, is not just for her but also for all those
women who suffer sexual harassment at their workplaces. It is
especially for those women workers who work at subcontractors. Given
that the owners of subcontractors can easily fire or cancel the labor
contract of anyone who causes trouble, it is very hard for these women
to fight against sexual harassment on the shop floor. Parent
companies, moreover, never take responsibility in such cases. The
recent Hyundai Motor case is very typical of these widespread and
rampant practices. It is very important, therefore, to call attention
to this wrongful practice in Korea.

Please take action to call on that the Ministry of Employment and
Labor, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Hyundai Motor to
take responsibility and find a solution to this problem. All concerned
authorities should be made responsible for punishing the offenders and
having the victim reinstated promptly.

DETAILS:

Ms. Park had worked for 14 years at a factory of Hyundai Motor in
Asan, Korea. She had renewed her labor contract with different
subcontractors every two years. But regardless of whoever the employer
was, she had worked same works in that factory. A group leader and the
manager of that factory sexually harassed her from April 2009. They
swore at her with unspeakable words and demanded to have sex with them
over the phone. Furthermore, they touched her body and threatened her.
Eventually, she told of her suffering to her colleague one day. But
after this news became known to other co-workers, the employer
punished her. The reason was that she tarnished the company's image by
her careless behavior. What was worse, the offender attended in the
personnel committee as a member. At first, she was suspended for six
months. And after the retrial, they decided to cut her wages for three
months. So she petitioned the National Human Rights Commission to
judge whether this case is sexual harassment and unfair dismissal or
not. Then, the personnel committee dismissed her from work. She
started picketing alone at the main gate of the factory. But the
security guards and managers assaulted her. So she was hospitalized
for four weeks. This time on, she started a sit-in struggle in the
factory, but they attacked her again.

On November 2010, the subcontractor, Kumyang Logistics, reported a
closure of the business. And another subcontractor, Hyungjin Company,
hired all workers of Kumyang except her. She continued her struggle in
front of the factory, but they attacked her whenever she set up a
tent.

On the 14th of January 2011, the National Human Rights Commission
reached a ruling that her case was definitely a sexual harassment and
urged the employer and the offenders to compensate her for mental and
physical damage. But they have ignored the judgment and take no
particular action. A officer of the Ministry of Employment and Labor
told they can nothing because Kumyang closed their business. And
another officer of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family told
they can nothing either because their business is not to seek a
resolution but just to train anti-sexual violence. Hyundai Motor
strongly denies that they need to take any responsibility as a prime
contractor. Furthermore, Hyundai Motor distributed an official paper
to the members of the National Assembly during the inspection saying
that she is a divorcee and a trouble maker.
She does not retract and now keeps on her sit-in struggle in front of
the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for more than 150 days.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

There are many things that you can do in response to this appeal. Here
are just four of them.

1. If you agree to our action, please sign up for our public
statement. Send a reply to pssp@jinbo.net, with your name and the name
of your organization on it. Then we'll hold a press conference in
front of Hyundai Motor, backed up with the expression of your
solidarity.

2. Also, you can sign and send a sample letter below or send your own
letter. If you send a protest letter please forward a copy by fax to
82 2 778 4006 or by email to pssp@jinbo.net
(The content of this sample letter is same as our public statement.)

3. If you have a blog or other online presence, please post
information about this case.

4. Use social media and networking sites to urge the punishment of
offenders and reinstatement of Ms. Park at Hyundai Motor.

For further information, please contact Wol-san Liem, People's
Solidarity for Social Progress (http://www.pssp.org /)

Tel : +82 2 778 4002
Fax : +82 2 778 4006
E-mail : pssp@jinbo.net


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A PUBLIC STATEMENT (SAMPLE LETTER)

(Dear ___________)

Punish the offenders of sexual harassment and reinstate Ms. Park.

We were shocked to hear the news that a woman worker has been holding
a sit-in struggle for more than 150 days asking for the punishment of
those offenders who sexually harassed her and reinstatement of her. We
can't understand why she was unfairly dismissed, despite being a
victim of sexual harassment. And we are deeply concerned that this
case has a bad effect on the women workers' rights in Korea.

Many of women workers are sexually harassed at the work places. But it
calls for great courage to expose their problem. Especially, it is
even harder for those women workers who working at a subcontractor
because of their precarious employment. So if a woman worker reveals
her problem, the company has to protect her and solve the problem
immediately. But Ms. Park was dismissed just because she made her
suffering known to her colleagues. Another shocking fact is that the
offender is still working at the same factory. We know that the
National Human Rights Commission judged her case definitely
constituted a sexual harassment and urged the employer and offenders
should compensate her for damage. If they keep avoiding their
responsibility, Hyundai Motor has to punish them and reinstate Ms.
Park, using its position as a prime contractor. But we came across a
report that Hyundai Motor distributed an official paper to condemn her
not to save her.

We regret that Ms. Park has no choice but to keep her sit-in in front
of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, because the ministries
and companies who should take the responsibility do not come on her
side, avoiding their responsibility.

We urge them as below
(when you send a letter, choose addressee and make it clear what you want to do)

To Hyundai Motors

-Apologize to her for secondary harassment, by mentioning and
condemning her privacy.
-Punish offenders and reinstate Ms. Park to her work.

To Hyungjin Company

-Punish offenders and reinstate Ms. Park immediately.

To the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Gender
Equality and Family

-Demand strongly to Hyundai Motors to take an action and solve this
problem promptly.
-Take preventive and counter measures for women workers not to be
unfairly dismissed on the account of exposing sexual harassment.

(Sincerely,)

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Jung Mong-gu
Chairman, Hyundai Motor Company

231, Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea

2. Mr. Kim Sang-hoon
Chairman, Hyunjin Company

Hyundai Motor, 129, Gumsung-lee, Injoo-myun, Asan, Korea
Tel : +82 41 530 5996
Fax : +82 41 532 1954

3. Mr. Lee Chae-pil
Minister, Ministry of Employment and Labor

BD #1, Gwacheon Government Complex
47, Gwanmoon-ro, Gwacheon, Korea
Tel: +82 2 503 9700
Fax: +82 2 504 6708

4. Ms. Kim Kum-lae
Minister, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

Premier Place BD, 8, Cheonggyecheon-ro , Joong-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel : +82 2 2075 4501
Fax : +82 2 3210 4702