South Korean woman activist ends 309-day crane protest
Her supporters sent food and water up by rope:
SOUTH KOREA: A South Korean woman on Thursday ended a 309-day protest
atop a giant shipyard crane after management and unionists finally
reached a deal over layoffs, a witness said.
Kim Jin-Suk came down from the 35-metre (115-foot) crane at the yard
of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction in the southern port city of
Busan, the witness told AFP by phone.
Kim, 52, has not touched the ground since she climbed up the crane in
January, with supporters sending food, water and other necessities up by
rope.
Police had been reluctant to halt the supplies for fear she would
jump.
But they have said Kim will be arrested after a medical check-up on
charges of obstructing business and trespass.
Earlier Thursday, the union approved a compromise with management
under which 94 laid-off workers will be rehired within a year. They will
also receive some 20 million won ($17,500) in compensation, and damage
lawsuits filed against strikers will be dropped.
The dispute began last December when 900 unionists went on strike in
protest at plans to scrap 400 jobs.
The company responded by locking the shipyard and cut off electricity
to the crane as a pressure tactic against Kim. AFP |