Bittersweet Encounter of Women Unionists and Policewomen

2001-06-13 reported by Cho Lee Yeu-wool , cognate@womennews.c

Afternoon of June 1, the National Assembly building. A face-off between women unionists and policewomen. The former are members of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, demanding the passage of the Maternity Protection Bill at the National Assembly. And the latter are the front-liners of the so-called "Operation Smile" launched by the police aimed at inducing peaceful demonstrations. The irony is that the policewomen, languishing from night shifts and weekend duties, are the very people who desperately need Maternity Protection Laws. There is rising criticism against the police for using unarmed policewomen as its shield in suppressing demonstrations.