KMWU and UAW Joint Statement: We Stand United Against All Attacks Restricting the Rights of Workers

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) strongly condemn the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) mass arrest and detention of 475 workers at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions construction site in Georgia. We declare our shared commitment to resist and fight back against all forms of attacks that violate workers’ rights.

Video footage of the ICE crackdown shows workers shackled with chains around their hands, feet and waists. This constitutes a violation of articles 47 and 48 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules) which prohibit chaining human beings as “inherently degrading” and require “the least intrusive method” of restraint only when necessary and based on the level of risk. This crackdown constitutes a clear abuse of human rights and violation of international norms.

The fundamental rights of workers at U.S.-based plants invested in by Korean companies — regardless of nationality, race, employment type, or company affiliation — must be guaranteed. However, Korean companies have failed to create the conditions and environment for workers in the supply chain to be able to do their job safely. Three workers lost their lives at the Hyundai Metaplant site in Georgia, the most recent case this last May. On top of this, many workers are working under foreseeable risks, shouldering the risks relating to visas. Capital must stop shifting the burden of identified crises onto the backs of workers and instead take full responsibility for ensuring a safe work environment.

And what of the Trump administration, which forcibly entered a workplace arresting and detaining 475 workers? While receiving investment from Korean companies, the U.S. government launched a militarized operation targeting the workers at those sites. What the government should be doing is not cracking down on workers, but changing the structures that exploit workers, creating safe working environments, and providing support on the ground.

Of the 475 detained workers, approximately 300 Koreans began the journey home on the 11th. However, the workers originating from other countries remain in detention. KMWU and UAW call for the release of all the detained workers.

Capital crosses borders to exploit labor. The state, having abandoned its obligation to protect human rights, seems now obsessed with “hunting down workers.” At this moment, international solidarity among labor unions is more urgent than ever. KMWU and UAW will take the lead and respond together to defend the rights of workers around the world.