============================================================================ Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2000 20:02:08 -0800 To: •••@••.•••,•••@••.••• From: CyberBrook <•••@••.•••> Subject: S. Korean rally against reforms Mime-Version: 1.0 Sunday, 19 November, 2000, BBC News S. Korean rally against reforms Samsung workers want to stop the closure of the unprofitable commercial vehicles division South Korean trade unionists have pledged to put up a "strong struggle" against the planned privatisation of state-owned firms and corporate restructuring. Up to 20,000 members of the country's largest trade union demonstrated in the capital Seoul, chanting slogans like "Oppose the government's unilateral restructuring which kills only workers" and "Fight to stop the sale of state companies". Experts say that 200,000 jobs or more might be axed as South Korea's conglomerates are forced to close down their loss-making businesses. Creditors estimate that 52 large firms are "not viable" anymore, crushed by huge debts they took on during expansion plans that never got anywhere because of the Asian financial crisis three years ago. Brink of collapse Among the firms on the brink of collapse is Daewoo Motor, which recently was declared bankrupt, putting at risk the jobs of 17,000 employees. Ever more dramatic would be the collapse of Hyundai Engineering, a company that employs about 200,000 people. A profitable sister company, Hyundai Motors, has promised to help - for now. In the past, banks or the government used to bail out struggling firms. But struggling to cope with their own huge debts, they have decided to cut the losses and force the closure of loss-making companies. One of the firms forced out of business is the commercial vehicle division of Samsung Motors. After failing to sell it to an investor, the Seoul government decided to close the plant. 'All-out fight' The leaders of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) say workers have so far made all the "sacrifices" for corporate restructuring, and demand that the government "should guarantee lives of workers laid off as a result of such reforms". FKTU president Lee Nam-Sun said: "The government will face an all-out fight unless it accepts our demands to safeguard our rights and livelihood". A week ago, a similar demonstration had ended in clashes with the police, leaving 300 workers and officers wounded. This time round, the protesters were met by about 10,000 police officers, deployed to make sure the workers would not try to storm the National Assembly. The demonstration ended with just a few minor scuffles. 'Power' struggle The marchers were joined by workers from the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), a state utility that could soon be broken up and sold to foreign investors. Struggling with debts of about 30 trillion won ($26.3bn), the firm is in no position to finance an ambitious programme to nearly double current energy production by building 106 power plants. The government hopes to split the firm into five units, that can be sold on to foreign investors with the necessary financial muscle. Kepco workers, however, fear massive job losses and argue that a privatisation will result in soaring energy costs for consumers while money leaves the country. ============================================================================ Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 19:37:12 -0800 To: •••@••.•••,•••@••.•••, •••@••.••• From: CyberBrook <•••@••.•••> Subject: Fwd: Anti cap conference... We are organizing the first anti-capitalist meeting in Argentina. The coming weekend Teresa Terminassian (IMF) arrives to our country. She is here to guarantee the privatization of social welfare, to guarantee the cuts to state and education budget, and to make sure that labor precarization is passed upon workers. Meanwhile, a few days ago a brother was killed by police at a road blockage in a northern province. Workers were demanding jobs and the government responded shooting real bullets. Next Thursday and Friday the union federations are calling for a 36 hours national strike, to repudiate the killing of the brother and against the IMF economic measures. The capitalists get ready to continue their looting and to guarantee the policies of multinational companies; the workers and the peoples are getting ready to resist and to defend their rights. Dozens of roads blockages all around the country show what the situation is like. We choose the side we are on. We stand along workers to fight against the rotten and murderer capitalist system. We want to struggle beyond frontiers, all youths and workers together against the IMF, the World Bank and the big companies that rule and destroy our planet. This call is urgent today; the future of the whole continent is being played; if the IMF plans move ahead it will cost us thousands of lifes. We call all the brothers from around the world that are being organized and fighting for the same banners as we are, to support the struggle we are commited to. On November 18th we are preparing the first anti-capitalist massive meeting in Argentina. We look forward to receive your salutation and support, since its of great inspiration for us; and also its a first step towards fighting all together. Keep up the fight! Please send your emails to: •••@••.••• ============================================================================ To: •••@••.•••, •••@••.•••, Suppressed:; From: Shekhar Krishnan <•••@••.•••> Subject: IndiaResists! Seminar on Globalisation and India's Environment Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 07:02:51 -0800 Reply-To: •••@••.••• X-Topica-Loop: 1700029507 Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Sender: •••@••.••• ------------------------------------------------------------ Tell your friends about IndiaResists! Subscribing is easy, all they have to do is email •••@••.••• ---------------------------------------------------------- Dear Friend, Attached is the note on the seminar we are planning on Globalisation, Liberalisation and India's Environment on February 15-16, 2001. I would appreciate your participation. Please let me know if you are interested, and whether you can present a paper, act as discussant, or participate in some other way. I would also appreciate your suggestions for others who can be invited. Please feel free to bounce this to others. A formal invitation follows. With best regards, Carol Upadhya Department of Sociology, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai <•••@••.•••>, <•••@••.•••> _______ UGC National Seminar on Globalisation, Liberalisation and India's Environment: Emerging Trends and Debates Post-Graduate Department of Sociology S.N.D.T. Women's University Churchgate Campus, Mumbai 400 020 <•••@••.•••> February 15-16, 2001 Globalisation and liberalisation are being heavily promoted by international institutions such as the World Bank and by many liberal economists as the route to economic development, especially for 'developing' countries. But these policies, which include freer international trade, increased foreign investment, deregulation, and structural adjustment, have come in for sharp criticism from a broad spectrum of non-governmental organisations and social movements, as displayed so vividly in Seattle. While opposition to globalisation has been voiced by diverse social movements, some of the most prominent critics have been environmentalists, such that the debate on globalisation has come to be closely linked with environmental issues -- a conjuncture that has thrown up new questions, issues, and research agendas. In India, liberalisation and globalisation have been among the most significant and contested developments of the last decade. The apparent inevitability of globalisation and of a more market-oriented, open economy has added a new dimension to the debate on environment and development. Many activists and intellectuals argue that globalisation, in addition to aggravating poverty and inequality, can only accelerate the process of environmental degradation in the country, posing a threat to the livelihoods of the majority of the people and to the long-term development and ecological integrity of the country. According to them, liberalisation policies have promoted privatisation and commercial exploitation of the country's natural resources, investment in polluting industries by foreign capital, growth of export-oriented agriculture at the expense of sustainable food production, and loosening of environmental protection regulations. Activists have also highlighted issues such as the adverse impact of the new IPR regime on biodiversity and agriculture, and the ecological destruction caused by export oriented industries as well as by World Bank funded projects. This pattern of development, they claim, will only benefit a privileged few and the corporate sector (multinational and national), while doing immense harm to India's ecological base and to the poor by restructuring the distribution and utilisation of natural resources. On the other hand, support for the new economic policy has come from unexpected quarters, and several activists and intellectuals argue that liberalisation, because of the accompanying technological changes and economic growth, will in the long run provide better livelihoods for people as well as greater environmental protection. The purpose of the seminar is to examine closely some of the issues that have arisen about environmental change in India in the context of globalisation. It will provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of recent research, advocacy work and other initiatives by academics, activists, journalists and others on a wide range of topics, with the aim of generating constructive debate. Some of the broad themes that could be addressed at this seminar include: 1) Agriculture, rural livelihoods and food security. How have the GATT and WTO agreements and recent changes in economic policy affected Indian agriculture, food security, the livelihoods of farmers and agricultural workers, and the rural environment (soil, water)? What has been the impact on rural ecological systems of the import of agricultural products, increasing multinational participation in the agricultural sector and the promotion of agribusiness, and the shift to export-oriented agriculture in some regions? MNCs have increased their penetration into the market for agricultural inputs, especially the seed market, stimulating sharp controversies over the patenting of seeds and the introduction of genetically modified seeds. Why have some farmers' organisations led the battle against MNCs on issues such as biotechnology and IPRs, while others have welcomed liberalisation in the agricultural sector? Relaxation of land ceilings and dereservation of agricultural land in some states are other aspects of the liberalisation process that have implications for food security and the rural environment. 2) Threats to biodiversity. A number of processes linked to globalisation have been identified as being potentially detrimental to India's biodiversity: the TRIPs agreement under GATT and WTO rules that mandate the recognition of intellectual property rights in life forms; patenting of seeds and other genetic material; biotechnology and the development of genetically modified seeds and food products; the introduction of new technology, seeds and export-oriented crops in agriculture; and the entry of MNCs into the food sector. What are the specific linkages between these developments and biodiversity loss in different regions? What may be the impact of the recently formulated Biodiversity Bill 2000? 3) Privatisation of common property and public resources. A trend towards privatisation of common property resources such as water has been observed in several regions; to what extent is this linked to liberalisation, and what are the ecological implications? Similarly, environmentalists claim that forest land is being privatised and commercialised in the name of 'eco-development' programmes (many sponsored by the World Bank). What has been the impact of liberalisation on the utilisation of public goods and the access of the poor to basic resources such as water, land and forests? 4) Promotion of export-oriented production. Activists argue that the promotion of export-oriented production under the new economic policy often focuses on activities such as shrimp farming and deep-sea fishing which are not only ecologically harmful but also destroy the resource base of local people, without providing compensation. What have been the ecological and social consequences of such 100 per cent export oriented activities, especially in the coastal zone? Is the emphasis on exports in tune with the earlier mantra of 'sustainable development'? 5) Liberalised trade, increased FDI and pollution. Liberalisation of trade, increased foreign investment, and the spatial reorganisation of industry are frequently cited as causes of increasing levels of pollution in industrialising countries. It is argued that globalisation allows industrialised nations to adhere to stricter environmental standards in their own countries while making profits from the third world (Bhopal being the prime and now symbolic example). For instance, liberalised trade has facilitated the export of toxic wastes from industrialised countries to the less developed world, often under the guise of recycling. On balance, what has been the impact on air and water pollution of the increased flow of FDI into India and of freer trade? To what extent does the push to implement liberalisation policies and to conform to WTO agreements take precedence over the enforcement of environmental laws in India? Or are stricter environmental standards being enforced to conform to ISO norms and the like? 6) Privatisation of infrastructure development projects. The opening of power generation and infrastructure projects such as road construction to private foreign investment is a controversial issue, with an environmental angle that has been highlighted by people's resistance movements such the one against the Enron project. What is the government's record on the environmental regulation of such projects given over to the private sector? Is there a contradiction between environmental laws and policies and the drive to attract foreign investment and to develop infrastructure facilities? The liberalisation of land acquisition rules to facilitate investment in infrastructure projects and new industries is a related issue with implications for the livelihoods of local people and for the environment. 7) Urban environment. The spatial reorganisation of manufacturing by MNCs through outsourcing and subcontracting has fuelled the typical pattern found in developing countries of rapid and unplanned urbanisation and expansion in the informal sector economy, resulting in extremely adverse environmental and health conditions in the cities. Deindustrialisation and the growth of unregulated 'tiny sector' manufacturing have also occurred in Indian cities, but can this process be linked directly with liberalisation? Are there other connections that can be made between globalisation and the deterioration in urban environments? For example, recent efforts to ease Mumbai's traffic congestion and to make the city more attractive to foreign and domestic capital by building numerous flyovers and improving roads is a solution that caters primarily to private vehicles, creating more road traffic and therefore more air pollution. Similarly, the rapid development of commercial property without corresponding infrastructure, slum demolition drives without rehabilitation of slum dwellers, the complete neglect of slum redevelopment and public transport projects, and the emphasis on 'beautification' rather than basic needs such as water, reflect not just bad planning but a particular vision of Mumbai as a 'global city'. We invite papers and presentations on any of the above themes or other related topics, and we also invite suggestions for additional themes. Abstracts should be received by December 15, 2000, and papers by January 31, 2001. _____ Shekhar Krishnan 58/58A, Anand Bhavan 201, Lady Hardinge Road Mahim, Bombay 16 India ---------------------------------------------------------- To post a message address it to •••@••.••• To unsubscribe send a message to •••@••.••• ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A <http://www.topica.com/t/17>http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics