‘I cannot forgive that as a human being’~protest to demand reinstatement of workers at Sanken Electric Co, South Korea

 

Even in the cold rain of March, roughly 200 people gathered at a park in Niiza City, Saitama Prefecture, near Sanken Electric Co headquarters. They were to launch a regular protest to demand reinstatement of the South Korean workers who were dismissed from the company’s production department last September. It’s been 160 days since the three union representatives came to Japan, where their company’s headquarters is based, to demand reinstatement.

 Many Japanese unions and local residents also joined the March 26 protest in the struggles of their Korean counterparts. “People in the community know the struggles of the Sanken workers who appeal to them at Shiki Station every day. While we have gained more supports, we also hear people say that we should stand with Japanese workers rather than Koreans. When I hear people say this to me, I always tell them, ‘I want to say that I am a human being before I am Japanese,’” a local resident who’s supported the struggles spoke at the rally.

 The protesters chanted slogans to demand withdrawal of restructuring and reinstatement of the 34 workers before they set out for a demonstration around Shiki Station. (By ARIMORI Akane) 

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「人間として許せない！」～韓国サンケンの整理解雇撤回を求めてデモ

3月26日。久しぶりの雨にもかかわらず、サンケン電気本社ちかくにある三軒屋公園

（新座市）には200人が集まった。昨年9月に生産部門全員が解雇された韓国サンケン

の労働者。3人が韓国から日本に渡り、サンケン本社前で「解雇撤回」を訴えて160日

になる。厳しい闘いを頑張りぬく韓国サンケンの労働者を見守ってきた、多くの日本

の労働組合、地元市民が駆けつけた。連帯活動をしている新座市の坂本さんは、「韓

国サンケンの人たちが、毎日志木駅前で訴えているのを、地元の人たちは見ている。

頑張れという声が増えている一方で『韓国人よりも日本人の立場に立つべきでしょ

う』という声もある。でも私は『日本人である前に人間だ』と答えている」と力強く

アピールした。集会の後、「整理解雇撤廃！」「サンケン電気は34名を職場に戻

せ！」とシュプレヒコールを上げ、サンケン本社、志木駅をデモをした。（有森あか

ね） 

動画（10分）