Half a million South Korean workers walk off jobs in general strike

This already happened, yesterday.[1] About 16,000 people showed up for a rally in Seoul.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbsnews.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;south-korea-squid-game-labor-union-protest&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cbsnews.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;south-korea-squid-game-labor-un...</a>

I wonder if Squid Game has had an impact. Gi-Hun had a flashback to an auto factory strike that was pretty traumatic that led him down the path to sign his life away to the game.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;labornotes.org&#x2F;blogs&#x2F;2021&#x2F;10&#x2F;real-life-auto-strike-behind-runaway-netflix-hit-squid-game" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;labornotes.org&#x2F;blogs&#x2F;2021&#x2F;10&#x2F;real-life-auto-strike-b...</a>

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions are known for their thuggish ways.<p>They frequently resort to violence, harassment and coerce all those that stand in their agenda.<p>within last year, they harassed a manager of delivery logistics company to commit suicide (specified and detailed harassment he faced on his will), cut off fuel valve of a delivery truck for not participating in their strike, and beat up a strike breaker.<p>The young worker demographic aren&#x27;t keen to their ways, as exemplified by recent strike &amp; protest of starbucks workers refusing help from KCTU when they volunteered to &#x27;unite&#x27; in protest efforts.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.v.daum.net&#x2F;v&#x2F;20210923195947254" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.v.daum.net&#x2F;v&#x2F;20210923195947254</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.edunctn.com&#x2F;mobile&#x2F;article.html?no=16927" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.edunctn.com&#x2F;mobile&#x2F;article.html?no=16927</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.chosun.com&#x2F;national&#x2F;labor&#x2F;2021&#x2F;09&#x2F;17&#x2F;ORHL7BDIABD5NAD22CHYAO6REY&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.chosun.com&#x2F;national&#x2F;labor&#x2F;2021&#x2F;09&#x2F;17&#x2F;ORHL7BDIABD...</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;m.khan.co.kr&#x2F;national&#x2F;national-general&#x2F;article&#x2F;202110091630001" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;m.khan.co.kr&#x2F;national&#x2F;national-general&#x2F;article&#x2F;20211...</a>

I vividly remember as a kid in the 1980s seeing coverage of strikes in Korea. They seemed absurdly violent. The image that stands out to me was a striker had fashioned some giant burner&#x2F;flame thrower thing out of (I suppose) an Lpg tank and was driving the cops back with it. Hilarious and exciting to a 10yo boy.

Maybe all these snowpiercer, squid games, parasite narratives are having an effect? Its like all these dystopic, zombie, monster, battle royale movies and shows are just expressing the never ending exploitaion and helplessness around people.

Good for them<p>&gt; Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break in pieces.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;oll.libertyfund.org&#x2F;title&#x2F;kurz-the-discourse-of-voluntary-servitude#preview" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;oll.libertyfund.org&#x2F;title&#x2F;kurz-the-discourse-of-volu...</a>

Condition of migrant workers in South Korea is even worse: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;indianexpress.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;world&#x2F;squid-game-netflix-south-korea-migrant-workers-7569572&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;indianexpress.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;world&#x2F;squid-game-netflix-s...</a>

Related: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;theanarchistlibrary.org&#x2F;library&#x2F;david-graeber-after-the-pandemic-we-can-t-go-back-to-sleep" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;theanarchistlibrary.org&#x2F;library&#x2F;david-graeber-after-...</a>. It&#x27;s cool to see people waking up and getting organized.

So less than 1% South Korean population, that doesn&#x27;t strike me as very general strike.<p>Also 0.5M (1.8%) out of 28M economically active population doesn&#x27;t sound much bigger. 98% SoKo workers DGAF

A lot of Korean shows depict the different aspects of their economic consciousness. These movies probably impacted the community to become aware and understand the economic system.

This gave me good laugh, the Bolshevist paper unironically named &quot;Pravda&quot;. Recommended reading: Robert A. Heinlein - &quot;Pravda&quot; Means &quot;Truth&quot;<p><i>An urgent message from Truthout<p>Trump or no Trump, the US is still reeling from coordinated right-wing attacks on democracy, human rights, and independent media. We must raise $20K by the end of today to keep publishing the truth</i>

Meanwhile in the US John Deere is cutting off health insurance to strong arm them into ending the strike.<p>Allowing employers to control health care is not a good idea.

&gt; Nationalize key industries and socialize basic services like education and housing.<p>Yeah, hopefully they don&#x27;t achieve this.

&gt; Nationalize key industries and socialize basic services like education and housing.<p>Oh. Nobody ever told them how bad things go when you do that ?

The only reason some countries have public health care in the first place care is so society isn&#x27;t completely squeezed for every bit of cash by the collective of medical practitioners. If I were a nurse or doctor I&#x27;d strike against expansion not for it.