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Fri, December 13, 2019 | 03:43
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Hyundai Motor workers end 10-month protest
현대차 비정규직 '296일 철탑 농성' 중단
Posted : 2013-08-08 17:29
Updated : 2013-08-08 17:29
Kang Hyun-kyung
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By Kang Hyun-kyung

Two former Hyundai Motor non-permanent workers, Chun Eui-bong, left, and Choi Byung-seung, chant a slogan after they came down from a high-rise steel tower near the company's assembly line in Ulsan Thursday, 296 days after they started their protest. / Yonhap
Two former Hyundai Motor non-permanent workers, Chun Eui-bong, left, and Choi Byung-seung, chant a slogan after they came down from a high-rise steel tower near the company's assembly line in Ulsan Thursday, 296 days after they started their protest. / Yonhap
Two fired, non-permanent workers of Hyundai Motor came down from a high-rise steel tower near the company's assembly line in Ulsan Thursday, ending a 296-day protest calling for their non-permanent status to be changed to a regular one.

Choi Byung-seung, 38, and Chun Eui-bong, 31, were taken into custody by police following their descent from the tower to be questioned over what was called an illegal protest. The two are members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union, an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

They started their protest after climbing 23 meters of the 50-meter tower on Oct. 17, 2012, demanding the nation's largest automaker observe the Supreme Court ruling that states contract employees should be considered permanent workers if they have worked for a company for more than two years.

The court also acknowledged non-permanent workers at subcontractors as employees of the automaker, a ruling requiring the company to give workers regular status if they work there for more than two years.

Hyundai refused to accept the demand.

"We've demanded the company follow the court ruling, but the company has refused to accept it. It's really sad that we have to come down, resolving nothing," Choi said during a press conference Thursday.

They said their descent does not mean their struggle is over.

"We're exhausted from the long protest. We've decided to come down to save our energy for more fights in the future. We will continue to fight until our demands are met," Choi said.

The union has accused the automaker of having used subcontractors as a vehicle to pay lower labor costs and fire employees more easily.

The two protestors cited their declining health as one of key reasons behind their ending the tower protest.

The union representing non-permanent workers at Hyundai Motor has demanded that the company make all of 7,500 non-permanent workers regular employees.

In reply, management proposed to hire 3,500 non-permanent workers working for subcontractors as regular ones.

The main opposition Democratic Party has demanded that Hyundai Motors respect the court ruling and recognize all non-permanent workers as regular employees.


현대차 비정규직 '296일 철탑 농성' 중단

현대자동차 울산공장 비정규직지회(사내하청 노조)의 전 조합원 최병승, 사무국장 천의봉씨가 8일 오후 1시 30분께 송전 철탑 고공농성을 중단하고 내려왔다.

이들은 지난해 10월 17일 시작한 농성을 296일만에 해제했다.

이들은 '현대차 내 모든 비정규직 근로자의 정규직화'를 촉구하며 높이 50m의 송전 철탑 23m 지점에 난간과 천막을 설치하고 농성해왔다.

이들은 철탑 아래에서 기자회견을 열고 '내려왔다고 해서 (정규직화 투쟁이) 끝난 것이 아니다'며 '계속 투쟁할 것'이라고 강조했다.

비정규직 지회도 회견에서 '철탑농성으로 우리 사회에 '불법파견을 정규직으로 전환하는 것은 당연하고 정당하다'는 공감대가 형성됐다'며 '불법파견이 얼마나 심각한 문제인지 각인시켰고, 법 위에 군림하는 재벌기업의 면모도 보여줬다'라고 의미를 부여했다.

현대차 지부(정규직 노조)는 '비정규직 문제 해결에 지부가 주체라는 생각으로 비정규직 지회와 함께 할 것'이라고 입장을 밝혔다.

희망버스 기획단도 기자회견에 참석해 '농성이 해제됐지만 비정규직 문제는 사회 구성원 모두가 함께 풀어야 할 과제'라며 '오는 31일 울산 방문을 그대로 진행하겠다'고 공표했다.

농성해제 기자회견에는 비정규직 지회 조합원과 민주노총 울산본부 조합원 등 500여명(경찰 추산)이 참석했다.

경찰은 회견이 끝난 후 최씨와 천씨를 미리 준비한 승합차량에 태워 울산 중부경찰서로 연행했다.

경찰은 이들이 의사 검진을 받은 후 곧바로 조사를 벌였지만 천씨는 요통과 다리 통증이 심해 조사 중간에 병원으로 옮겨져 치료를 받고 있다.

경찰은 48시간 동안 조사를 벌이고 구속영장 신청 여부를 결정할 방침이다.

최씨와 천씨는 2010년과 지난해 각각 업무방해 혐의 등으로 법원으로부터 체포영장이 발부된 상태다.

비정규직회는 이날 농성해제 시점에 맞춰 조합원을 결집시키기 위해 오전 11시 30분부터 4시간 부분파업을 벌였고 오는 14일에는 전면파업을 하기로 했다.

현대차는 이에 대해 '사내하청 노조가 특별협의를 통해 대화를 하자고 하면서 또다시 파업을 선택한 것은 매우 부적절하며 있을 수 없는 일'이라고 비판했다.

한편 현대차와 비정규직 지회는 이들의 농성 전후 수차례 비정규직의 정규직화 특별협의를 열었지만 사 측의 '사내하청 근로자 3천500명의 신규채용안'과 노조 측의 '직접 생산공정과 관련한 모든 비정규직 근로자(노조 추산 7천500명)의 정규직화안'으로 맞서며 갈등을 빚어왔다.
Emailhkang@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter








 
 
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