By Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter
The nation’s major retailer E-Land Group is suspected of sending hateful e-mail to its unionized workers who are in protest over the management’s massive layoff of non-regular workers. In the e-mail, the writer compared its striking workers’ protest to an action caused by devil’s temptation.
According to the company’s labor union Sunday, hundreds of unionized workers received the e-mail which was sent under the name of Kim Young-soo, the president of E-Land World, an affiliate of the group.
In the e-mail, Kim asked workers to pray three times a day, so that ``striking workers repent before the God and never get tempted by devil again.’’ The writer also said that they should pray so that ``the God can make union leaders get arrested’’ and ``workers do their best as faithful servants who do not complain about their salaries.’’
While the company officials claimed that Kim did not send the e-mail and his e-mail password was stolen by someone who wants to undermine the company, labor union said the letter clearly shows management’s view on labor union.
Kim Young-bom, a spokesman of the group said it would request that the police investigate further to find out the source of the letter.
Meanwhile, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Monday launched campaign to boycott E-Land products in protest against management’s layoff of non-regular workers and the government’s crackdown on striking workers.
``E-Land, which is anti-labor and anti-social, has no longer the right to operate as a company. We will continue our full-fledged campaign to boycott the company’s products to force it out from the market,’’ said Lee Sok-haeng, chairman of the KCTU. ``We will also keep demanding the government apologize for its crackdown on workers who fight for their rights to live.’’
The KCTU also criticized Labor Minister Lee Sang-soo’s comment that KCTU should not interfere with the E-Land situation.
In an interview with CBS radio network on Monday morning, the minister said he is doubtful that if KCTU’s intervention will be helpful in solving the situation in a right way.
``Although I feel sorry that the police had to forcefully disperse the worker’s strike, I don’t think it is right that the union illegally occupied the company’s outlets for more than 20 days,’’ he said.
He also said that it is unjust to demand the revision of the new labor bill regarding non-regular workers because not even a month has passed since the law initially took effect.