Broadcast: July 2, 2003

South Korea Faces More Strikes as Rail Workers Return to Jobs

South Korea is ¹⁾confronting yet another wave of labor ²⁾unrest, just a day after South Korean rail workers voted to end their four-day strike. The ³⁾brewing conflict could further ⁴⁾undermine foreign investor's confidence in South Korea's economy.

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun vowed this week to take a ⁵⁾hard line on labor unrest and his tough talk appeared to ⁶⁾bear fruit. On Tuesday, railway workers voted to head back to work, ending a strike that had ⁷⁾crippled much of South Korea's transportation network.

But on Wednesday, at least 90,000 trade ⁸⁾unionists put down their tools in a four-hour partial ⁹⁾work stoppage. The Korean Confederation of Trade workers are demanding better working conditions and higher pay.

Nearly 30,000 Hyundai Motor workers, South Korea's largest automaker and a ¹⁰⁾mainstay of its export-driven economy, led the ¹¹⁾walkout. Many investors cite union ¹²⁾inflexibility as a big problem for business in South Korea.

Most financial analysts have ¹³⁾trimmed ¹⁴⁾projections for South Korea's third ¹⁵⁾quarter growth. Domestic spending has dropped and foreign investors remain ¹⁶⁾skittish about the North Korean nuclear crisis and the fresh round of labor unrest.

K.H. Shim is an analyst with Atlantis Investment Management in South Korea. "This is really a major headache for the Korean economy right now, because not only domestic investors but also the foreign investors don't feel comfortable about Korean industry. Lots of foreigners just wait and see what is the final result of this labor unrest." he said.

But Shim adds he believes the strikers are beginning to lose favor with the general public and will ¹⁷⁾consequently lose some of their political power.

President Roh, himself a former labor lawyer, won office four months ago, largely due to backing from the unions.

But his tough ¹⁸⁾stand against the railway strikers seems to have put an end to their era of ¹⁹⁾mutual support, with union leaders saying they may vote against his ruling party in next year's elections.

Benjamin Sand for VOA news, Hong Kong.

1) confront [kEn5frQnt] vt.使面临，对抗

2) unrest [5Qn5rest] n.不安的状态，动荡的局面

3) brew [bru:] v.酿造，酝酿

4) undermine [7QndE5main] v.破坏，削弱

5) hard line 强硬路线，强硬政策

6) bear fruit 结出果实，奏效

7) cripple [5kripl] v.使瘫痪

8) unionist [5ju:njEnist] n.工会会员，工会主义者

9) work stoppage 停工斗争

10) mainstay [5meinstei] n.支柱，中流砥柱

11) walkout [5wC:k5aut] n.罢工

12) inflexibility [in7fleksE5biliti] n.不屈性，顽固

13) trim [trim] vt.修整

14) projection [prE5dVekFEn] n.预测

15) quarter [5kwC:tE] n.季度

16) skittish [5skitiF] adj.不可靠的，易变的

17) consequently [5kRnsikwEntli] adv.从而，因此

18) stand [stAnd] n.立场

19) mutual [5mju:tjuEl] adj.相互的，共有的

播报时间：2003年7月2日

韩国在铁路工人复工的同时将面临更多的罢工事件

仅仅在韩国铁路工人投票决定结束为期四天的罢工活动后的第二天，韩国就又面临着新一轮的工人运动。正在酝酿的冲突活动可能将继续削弱外国投资者对韩国经济的信心。

韩国总统卢武铉本周作出誓言，要对工人运动采取强硬政策，他措辞严厉的讲话似乎产生了作用。星期二，铁路工人通过投票决定复工，从而结束了使大部分韩国运输网处于瘫痪状态的罢工活动。

但是，在星期三，至少有9万名工会成员放下了他们手中的工具，举行了一次历时4小时的局部停工活动。韩国工会联合会的工人们要求获得更好的工作环境和更高的薪水。

现代汽车公司是韩国最大的汽车制造商，并且是其外向型经济的支柱企业，该公司所属的将近3万名员工领导了这次罢工活动。许多投资者都把工会的顽固性当作是在韩国做生意的一个重大问题。

大多数金融分析家都调整了他们对韩国第三季度发展水平所做的预测。国内支出已经下降，而国外投资者则因朝鲜的核危机和新一轮工人运动而处于一种不稳定状态。

K H沈是西京（韩国）投资管理公司的分析师。“这在目前的确是一个令韩国经济头痛的重大问题，因为，不只是国内投资者，连国外的投资者都对韩国的工业感到不适。许多外国人正在观望这次工人运动的最终结果。”他说。

但是，沈补充说，他相信罢工者正在失去大众的支持，而且会因此而失去他们的一些政治权利。

卢总统以前就是一名劳工律师，他在四个月以前赢取了现在的职位，这在很大程度上归功于工会的支持。

但是，随着工会领导人表示，他们可能在明年的选举中投票反对他所领导的执政党，他对铁路工人采取的强硬立场似乎终结了他们之间的互助关系。

这是“美国之音”新闻部的本杰明桑德从香港发出的报道。