S. Korean metal workers' union threatens walkout

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Jun 2008

South Korea's metal workers will wage a two-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the resumption of U.S. beef imports as well as management's refusal to accept the union's demands, local news agency Yonhap reported Sunday. The Korea Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), the country's largest industrial union with more than 140,000 members in automobile, steel, machinery and shipping sectors, has been holding negotiations with management on the union's demands for a hike in minimum pay and for irregular workers to be granted the right to organize.
"Up to 75 percent of the union members agreed on the walkout amid escalating requests of proper negotiation with the management and renegotiation of the U.S. beef import deal," a KMWU official said on Sunday.
The metal workers' union claims it was pushed to carry out a walkout as four major carmakers shunned its proposal on collective negotiations to more effectively tackle issues of wages, temporary employees and growing gaps between large and small companies.
Major business groups, including Hyundai Motor and GM Daewoo, have been refusing to participate in the ongoing negotiations since April 15, sticking to the enterprise-level negotiations with their own unions.
If the four companies continue to boycott the negotiations until the end of next week, the union will launch a massive weekend protest in Seoul, the KMWU said. Over 10,000 union members are expected to participate in the protest.

Source: Xinhua