S.Korea police to end car plant occupation (by unionists)

[Coventina]

Source: AFP

SEOUL — Hundreds of South Korean riot police Monday moved into a loss-making auto plant as unionists staging a two-month occupation in protest at redundancies pelted them with slingshots, officials said.

The police move came after Ssangyong Motor cut off water and gas to the plant at Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometres (44 miles) south of Seoul, to try to end the occupation which has halted production.

About 1,000 striking workers also armed with metal pipes and paint thinner have occupied the plant since May 21 to oppose job cuts designed to save the Chinese-invested company.

They fired nuts and bolts from large slingshots Monday as about 700 officers sheltering behind steel nets deployed near a barricaded paint shop, media reports said. No hand-to-hand clashes were reported as of mid-afternoon.

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