PROK Staff morning prayer
Text: Psalm 56
Holy God, You are eternal who resists collusion with human schemes that cause suffering and death. We thank you for this time of prayer and to be refreshed by the renewing presence of the Holy Spirit.
Meditating on your word, we are being assured of your compassion toward us especially when we feel down and out, thinking that we have used up our energies and feel that our body and soul are drained of all what there is left for us to live.
We thank you for your great mercies that uphold us in faith and goodness. May Christ forgive our misgivings and carelessness, while we strive to better our commitments and involvements in the lives of the suffering ones
We remember Rhea Whitehead, a friend and fellow mission co-worker who passed away and has rested in your grace. Sustain in your love her family in this moment if bereavement and whole United Church of Canada.
In your grace bless and accompany us in our respective work today and we ask that you also give safe travels and meaningful engagement to our PROK leaders travelling and meeting partners overseas. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Regrets and anger
Teaching English in an after school program for blind children has been very interesting. For more than four years now, I've at least understand the potentials of children who are visually impaired. But while English is a difficult language to learn for Korean children, their parents' push for them to learn have left no choice. This school year I'm teaching third year middle school visually impaired kids. Last session our lesson was about cause, effect and regret. Following the sentence pattern the kids constructed their sentences with ease. On the regret part the sentence started with "I should have...." Well, one of kids mentioned his regret after the class saying, "I should not have been in school this long." In his predicament, going to high school is not important more so getting into college.
Many people know that when anger is actualized can be destructive. It can cause damage on lives, property and most of all social relationships. But anger can be managed because it is human behavior. We can use our anger to cause harm on other people even our family and friends, only to regret what we have done to them. There are persons who the moment they get angry could not think rationally and would panic to the point of forgetting the consequences of their actions out of anger. Anger heightens your violent tendencies and it is a survival instinct. However anger can be our best friend when we can manage it.
Many people know that when anger is actualized can be destructive. It can cause damage on lives, property and most of all social relationships. But anger can be managed because it is human behavior. We can use our anger to cause harm on other people even our family and friends, only to regret what we have done to them. There are persons who the moment they get angry could not think rationally and would panic to the point of forgetting the consequences of their actions out of anger. Anger heightens your violent tendencies and it is a survival instinct. However anger can be our best friend when we can manage it.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
From parasols to umbrellas, stories on a rainy day
Talking about summer time in Seoul is a tricky thing. Friends who know that I've come from a tropical country like the Philippines would say that perhaps I like the warm to hot weather in Seoul. Well, well, well I really like hot weather becuase it is nice fo walk around and many new things come into view, like stylish parasols in many women' hands that cover their heads from direct sunlight, short-sleve shirts, t-shirts and shorts. Different kinds of smells both sweet and offensive your nose can detect including the odor of sewers and street canala rise in the air. Making a place distinctly different from the others.
It has been raining since yesterday and travelling in Seoul by the subway train and bus always gives me a sense of curiosity like what is the predominating color of umbrellas I would see today, unsurprisingly it's black, oh yeah for parasols it was off-white. When it rains in Seoul almost every person carries an unbrella and some people can't anticipate how high or low they should hold their umbrellas as they approach or walk along other people. In my case I would raise my umblella above other umbrellas, at times turn it sideways. Unfortunately using an umbrella can be inconvenient but is there a new way of covering yourself from the rain? What about a smart umbrella, one that can come out of a shirt, if not from a bag? This is something to invent or just to imagine.
It has been raining since yesterday and travelling in Seoul by the subway train and bus always gives me a sense of curiosity like what is the predominating color of umbrellas I would see today, unsurprisingly it's black, oh yeah for parasols it was off-white. When it rains in Seoul almost every person carries an unbrella and some people can't anticipate how high or low they should hold their umbrellas as they approach or walk along other people. In my case I would raise my umblella above other umbrellas, at times turn it sideways. Unfortunately using an umbrella can be inconvenient but is there a new way of covering yourself from the rain? What about a smart umbrella, one that can come out of a shirt, if not from a bag? This is something to invent or just to imagine.
Monday, June 06, 2011
The Struggle of Vietnamese Migrant Workers in South Korea
Petition urging that the 10 Vietnamese Migrant Workers be found Not Guilty and Released
Recently, 10 Vietnamese migrant workers working in South Korea were arrested, detained and brought to trial. The 10 individuals had been among 200 Vietnamese workers employed to construct the substructure of a container wharf at the Incheon New Port last year. The Prosecutor's Office has charged them with several crimes including obstruction of business, group violence, mob assault and assault with a deadly weapon.
In addition, the prosecution are claiming that the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike, through which they caused significant losses to the company that employed them.
In reality, however, these workers faced subhuman treatment and were subjected to forced labor on the Incheon New Port construction site. They were not allowed to rest on Sundays despite the fact that the South Korean Labor Standards Act guarantees workers one day of a week. They were forced to work in 12-hour shifts, with one running during the day and the other during the night. All the while they receiving only minimum wage. In addition, they were forced to pay for meals despite the fact that their employer had originally promised that meals would be provided. Even worse, management, claiming that they did not work hard enough, began deducting an hour worth of wages from their pay. These actions constitute severe violations of the Labor Standard Act and violation of the workers' employment contract. When the workers protested, however, management responded by telling them they would be fired or, "reported to the Ministry of Labor and deported."
For workers to refuse their labor in the face of such unfair conditions is completely justified. And, indeed, the Incheon New Port workers responded with a strike. Regardless of the technical legality or illegality of this collective action, it must be recognized that refusing to provide labor when management is in violation of the employment contract is a completely justified act. As such, the prosecution's indictment is blatantly unjust.
In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate. It has become clear in the course of the trial. However, that some of the workers arrested had, in fact, worked at the construction site for less than a week and were not even familiar with their duties there. Given this fact we cannot help but doubt the credibility of the prosecution's indictment. Far from what the prosecution is claiming, these workers were pushed into two rounds of spontaneous action by the subhuman conditions under which they were forced to work.
The prosecution's accusation of "group violence" is also highly doubtful. We believe that the prosecution has exaggerated this charge in order to create a basis for calling the group action "illegal".
All of the Vietnamese workers involved in this incident had come to Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The South Korean government claims that the EPS protects the labor rights of migrant workers in full. This case shows, however, that the labor rights of migrant workers in South Korea are actually completely disregarded. What is more, the conditions faced by the Incheon New Port workers are not at all unique. They are similar to the conditions faced by the majority of migrant workers in South Korea.
If these workers are found guilty of the charges brought against them, it will be a direct demonstration of just how unequal and unjust the South Korean government and South Korean society's treatment of migrant workers is. We sincerely hope that these workers will be found not guilty and freed so they can return to their lives as common workers for the sake of their futures and their families in Vietnam. If these workers are found guilty they will all be subject to forcible deportation under the Immigration Control Act. We fervently hope that their employer's cruel treatment and the prosecution's trumped-up charges will not led to the horrible consequence of turning this young workers into law-breakers.
Name: _______________________________ Organization: _________________________
Position: ____________________________ Signature: ____________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently 10 Vietnamese migrant workers working in South Korea were arrested, detained and brought to the trial.
The Prosecutor's Office has charged them with several crimes including obstruction of business, group violence, mob assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecution are claiming the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike. In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate.
They all have regular migrant workers under Employment Permit System (EPS). When they are convicted for the offences, they are highly likely to face deportation by the Immigration Act.
The 10 individuals had been among 200 Vietnamese workers employed to construct the substructure of a container wharf at the Incheon New Port last year.
The 1st Strike: 22th to 25th July 2010
From 7 o’clock in the morning 22nd of July 2010, roughly two hundred Vietnamese workers went on a walkout. It continued to 7 o’clock in the evening on 25th of July 2010.
They demanded the company to offer three free meals a day. They also demanded it not to force to work at night against their will. Friends’ visits to the accommodations were not allowed. Foods, drinks and alcohols were not allowed in them. To lift these restrictions were included in the demands as well.
ü They were paid KRW 4,410 by the hour.
ü They worked for 12 hours from 07:00 to 19:00(Lunch 12:00-13:00).
ü They would work 12-hour shift. (They also demanded the company to recognize 8 hours of waiting time as working hours when they worked 12-hour shift.)
ü They worked on Saturday and Sunday even though they were required to work from Monday through Friday under their employment contract.
ü The company offered only lunch for free and food expenses for breakfast and dinner amounting KRW240,000 a month were deducted from their wages.( This is why the major demand of the strike was free three meals a day. The company offered breakfast and dinner for free in April and May 2010. But it noticed that it would offer only lunch for free in July 2010. Many workers who had worked since April 2010 staged a walkout and quit to work.)
*The company argued the strike caused losses of KRW 1billon. It said it hired local workers and paid more for extended rents for equipments due to the strike.
2nd Strike
Most Vietnamese workers went on a walkout on January 9th 2011 again. The company changed its policy. It reduced recognized work hours to 11 hours (They worked for 12 hours from 07:00 to 19:00, Lunch 12:00-13:00). The company had recognized 12 working hours including 4 hours of overtime work previously.
*The company argued the strike caused KRW 109million.
Arrest and Brought to the Trial
The 10 Vietnamese migrants continued to be employed and worked after the strike.
Some of them even just begin to work in July 2010. So they were not in the condition to lead the first strike.
But they were arrested in March and April 2011 and were charged with interfering with the business, group violence, and mob assault with deadly weapon.
The prosecution are claiming the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike. In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate.
They all have regular migrant workers under Employment Permit System (EPS). When they are convicted for the offences, they are highly likely to be deported by the Immigration Act.
Recently, 10 Vietnamese migrant workers working in South Korea were arrested, detained and brought to trial. The 10 individuals had been among 200 Vietnamese workers employed to construct the substructure of a container wharf at the Incheon New Port last year. The Prosecutor's Office has charged them with several crimes including obstruction of business, group violence, mob assault and assault with a deadly weapon.
In addition, the prosecution are claiming that the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike, through which they caused significant losses to the company that employed them.
In reality, however, these workers faced subhuman treatment and were subjected to forced labor on the Incheon New Port construction site. They were not allowed to rest on Sundays despite the fact that the South Korean Labor Standards Act guarantees workers one day of a week. They were forced to work in 12-hour shifts, with one running during the day and the other during the night. All the while they receiving only minimum wage. In addition, they were forced to pay for meals despite the fact that their employer had originally promised that meals would be provided. Even worse, management, claiming that they did not work hard enough, began deducting an hour worth of wages from their pay. These actions constitute severe violations of the Labor Standard Act and violation of the workers' employment contract. When the workers protested, however, management responded by telling them they would be fired or, "reported to the Ministry of Labor and deported."
For workers to refuse their labor in the face of such unfair conditions is completely justified. And, indeed, the Incheon New Port workers responded with a strike. Regardless of the technical legality or illegality of this collective action, it must be recognized that refusing to provide labor when management is in violation of the employment contract is a completely justified act. As such, the prosecution's indictment is blatantly unjust.
In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate. It has become clear in the course of the trial. However, that some of the workers arrested had, in fact, worked at the construction site for less than a week and were not even familiar with their duties there. Given this fact we cannot help but doubt the credibility of the prosecution's indictment. Far from what the prosecution is claiming, these workers were pushed into two rounds of spontaneous action by the subhuman conditions under which they were forced to work.
The prosecution's accusation of "group violence" is also highly doubtful. We believe that the prosecution has exaggerated this charge in order to create a basis for calling the group action "illegal".
All of the Vietnamese workers involved in this incident had come to Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS). The South Korean government claims that the EPS protects the labor rights of migrant workers in full. This case shows, however, that the labor rights of migrant workers in South Korea are actually completely disregarded. What is more, the conditions faced by the Incheon New Port workers are not at all unique. They are similar to the conditions faced by the majority of migrant workers in South Korea.
If these workers are found guilty of the charges brought against them, it will be a direct demonstration of just how unequal and unjust the South Korean government and South Korean society's treatment of migrant workers is. We sincerely hope that these workers will be found not guilty and freed so they can return to their lives as common workers for the sake of their futures and their families in Vietnam. If these workers are found guilty they will all be subject to forcible deportation under the Immigration Control Act. We fervently hope that their employer's cruel treatment and the prosecution's trumped-up charges will not led to the horrible consequence of turning this young workers into law-breakers.
Name: _______________________________ Organization: _________________________
Position: ____________________________ Signature: ____________________________
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently 10 Vietnamese migrant workers working in South Korea were arrested, detained and brought to the trial.
The Prosecutor's Office has charged them with several crimes including obstruction of business, group violence, mob assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecution are claiming the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike. In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate.
They all have regular migrant workers under Employment Permit System (EPS). When they are convicted for the offences, they are highly likely to face deportation by the Immigration Act.
The 10 individuals had been among 200 Vietnamese workers employed to construct the substructure of a container wharf at the Incheon New Port last year.
The 1st Strike: 22th to 25th July 2010
From 7 o’clock in the morning 22nd of July 2010, roughly two hundred Vietnamese workers went on a walkout. It continued to 7 o’clock in the evening on 25th of July 2010.
They demanded the company to offer three free meals a day. They also demanded it not to force to work at night against their will. Friends’ visits to the accommodations were not allowed. Foods, drinks and alcohols were not allowed in them. To lift these restrictions were included in the demands as well.
ü They were paid KRW 4,410 by the hour.
ü They worked for 12 hours from 07:00 to 19:00(Lunch 12:00-13:00).
ü They would work 12-hour shift. (They also demanded the company to recognize 8 hours of waiting time as working hours when they worked 12-hour shift.)
ü They worked on Saturday and Sunday even though they were required to work from Monday through Friday under their employment contract.
ü The company offered only lunch for free and food expenses for breakfast and dinner amounting KRW240,000 a month were deducted from their wages.( This is why the major demand of the strike was free three meals a day. The company offered breakfast and dinner for free in April and May 2010. But it noticed that it would offer only lunch for free in July 2010. Many workers who had worked since April 2010 staged a walkout and quit to work.)
*The company argued the strike caused losses of KRW 1billon. It said it hired local workers and paid more for extended rents for equipments due to the strike.
2nd Strike
Most Vietnamese workers went on a walkout on January 9th 2011 again. The company changed its policy. It reduced recognized work hours to 11 hours (They worked for 12 hours from 07:00 to 19:00, Lunch 12:00-13:00). The company had recognized 12 working hours including 4 hours of overtime work previously.
*The company argued the strike caused KRW 109million.
Arrest and Brought to the Trial
The 10 Vietnamese migrants continued to be employed and worked after the strike.
Some of them even just begin to work in July 2010. So they were not in the condition to lead the first strike.
But they were arrested in March and April 2011 and were charged with interfering with the business, group violence, and mob assault with deadly weapon.
The prosecution are claiming the Vietnamese migrant workers carried out an illegal strike. In its letter of indictment the prosecution claims that the workers who were arrested had led the strike and used threats and force to make other workers participate.
They all have regular migrant workers under Employment Permit System (EPS). When they are convicted for the offences, they are highly likely to be deported by the Immigration Act.
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