AhnLab workers oppose spinoff of service business division

By Baek Byung-yeul

AhnLab workers have formed a union to oppose the cybersecurity firm's decision to spin off its service business division.

AhnLab is known for implementing a union-free management policy since it was founded in 1995. Its first-ever union said it was necessary to organize as the company unilaterally made the spinoff plan without consulting its employees.

“As many people know, there have been no unions for Ahnlab workers since 1995. But after the spinoff decision, there has been a lot of unrest among the people who work here and that led us to feel the necessity of forming a union to protect our rights,” said Baek Seung-hwa, a leader of the union.

“As an employee of the country's leading cybersecurity firm, we have had pride in the fact that we are in charge of the country's cybersecurity. But the company unilaterally came up with the spinoff plan and that wounded our pride.”

AhnLab has been sending technicians and salespeople in the service business division, who are its full-time workers, to manage the cybersecurity systems of its customer companies. Among its 1,000 employees, about 350 employees have been working in this division.

However, the firm's board of directors decided to separate its service business division from the company on Sept. 14.

AhnLab said the decision is to set up a suitable business management environment for the service unit. “We decided to implement the spinoff to improve our competitiveness in the cybersecurity market,” AhnLab CEO Kwon Chi-jung said after the spinoff announcement last month.

The firm said it will hold a shareholder meeting on Nov. 2 for the approval of the spinoff, but the decision led its employees to form the firm's first-ever union on Oct. 1.

Baek said AhnLab workers formed the union as they are uncertain about their jobs.

“The spinoff plan may raise the uncertainty about the jobs of employees who are currently working in the service business division. After the spinoff, they will no longer be employees of AhnLab. They will be employees of Ahnlab's subsidiary. Who would want to take the risk of such an uncertainty?” Baek said.

He added another factor that influenced them to form the union is because AhnLab has pitted its employees into unhealthy internal competition with each other to enhance the firm's performance.

When contacted by The Korea Times, AhnLab PR officials refused to comment on the issue.