Worker Demonstration

[Anchor Lead]

Construction workers' severance pay is tabulated based on the number of days they have worked. But the daily pension rate has been frozen for ten years at 4,000 won, less than five U.S. dollars, prompting some 20,000 construction laborers to demand a raise in severance pay in front of the National Assembly yesterday. However, the National Assembly failed to deliberate on the bill.

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Some 20,000 workers in construction and machinery, including day laborers and truck drivers, assembled in front of the National Assembly. They urged a raise in their severance pay, which has been frozen at 4,000 won a day for the past 10 years.

[Soundbite] Jang Ok-ki(Construction Trade Unions, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) : "We will charge toward the National Assembly until this bill is passed today."

But the revision bill containing the severance pay raise for construction workers was not even deliberated at the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee, because the ruling and opposition parties differed on which tabled bills to process first. The enraged demonstrators demanded that the lawmakers take action on the bill and attempted to enter the National Assembly. But they were stopped by police. The demonstrators then marched toward the Mapo Bridge and stood in confrontation with the police who were blocking the entrance to the bridge. The police and demonstrators stood face-to-face for about an hour from 5PM, causing the entire 10-lane bridge to shut down and create a huge traffic jam. Meanwhile, a protest that took place at the top of an ad tower in front of the National Assembly came to an end after 18 days. However, passing the labor bills before the year is over is not likely to take place, as the lawmakers failed to deliberate on another labor-related bill that aims to shorten the work week to 52 hours.