Founding Declaration

Workers create and develop world history.

We, the workers of the metal industry, are the leading force of production, and have stood at the forefront of the Korean workers’ movement in the struggle to advance social progress and resist the exploitative and oppressive structures of capitalism.

We establish the Korean Metal Workers’ Union to raise the autonomous, democratic workers’ movements to new levels, while carrying forward the spirit of solidarity and untiring will of the martyrs who dedicated their lives to the workers’ movement.

In solidarity with the workers of the world, we shall fight for human dignity and equality and against the neoliberal globalization of capital, which has brought about subordination, discrimination, and the proliferation of poverty.

We will march forward in struggle to establish workers’ and people’s society together with progressive forces through the abolishment of oppression and discrimination and for national unification.

8 February 2001