Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Subcontract workers occupy GM Korea CEO's office
Subcontracted workers put up a banner at GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem's office in the carmaker's factory in Bupyeong, Incheon, Monday, to urge the company to hire them. / Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
Irregular workers employed by subcontractors for GM Korea's three factories in Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province and Bupyeong in Incheon occupied GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem's office in the Bupyeong factory, Monday, urging the carmaker to directly hire them.
As of 3:30 p.m., 40 subcontracted workers including Hwang Ho-in, head of GM Korea's irregular workers at the Bupyeong factory, were staging a sit-in at Kazem's office and in the corridor.
Kazem escaped from his office to do his work, according to GM Korea. The company said it demanded the subcontracted workers stop their unlawful occupation, but did not put them out by force.
Citing the Ministry of Employment and Labor's recent order, the subcontracted workers said they want to have a talk with the management regarding the direct employment of them and the reinstatement of laid-off subcontracted workers.
“The labor ministry ordered GM Korea to directly hire 774 subcontracted workers at the Changwon factory,” the workers said in a statement. “However, GM Korea decided to pay a 7.74 billion won ($6.95 million) fine, instead of hiring even one of them.”
GM Korea, which carried out a large-scale restructuring after finishing negotiations with the government and creditors, has claimed the ministry's order hinders its normalization, because the carmaker should recalculate its personnel expenses.
The carmaker said the recent shutdown of the Gunsan factory will be meaningless if it employs the subcontracted workers.
GM Korea submitted a written opinion to the labor ministry earlier this month to seek another measure.
However, the ministry has begun reviewing the legality of 900 workers employed by 21 subcontractors for the Bupyeong factory, since the subcontracted workers accused management of an alleged violation of the agency worker law.
The ministry is expected to order GM Korea to hire the subcontracted workers at the Bupyeong factory as well.