Starbucks Korea protesters refuse help from umbrella labor group

A truck hired by Starbucks Korea baristas and other employees in Korea displays signs calling for the improvement of their working conditions on a road near Gangnam Station in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Starbucks Korea baristas and other employees who have been protesting against the coffee chain over excessive workload have drawn a line between themselves and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), making it clear that they do not want intervention from one of the two major umbrella labor groups.

A staff member who identified himself as a leader of the protest organized by Starbucks Korea's employees wrote on the Blind app, “This is our official response. We do not want the KCTU to intervene in our protest. We do not need your help. We are not a union.”

Blind is an online community forum app that enables employees of a company or people working in the same industry to upload instant messages and communicate anonymously.

The staff member also asked the KCTU not to attempt to use Starbucks Korea employees' protest as a means to benefit itself.

Starbucks Korea employees mobilized two trucks to express their complaints over the excessive workload during their protest, which took place in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.

The protesters called on the company to improve their working conditions, complaining about too frequent marketing events and the lack of manpower.

The first-ever protest organized by Starbucks employees in Korea came after a recent promotional event that drew many customers to line up for hours.

After learning of Starbucks Korea employees' plan to organize their first collective action ever, the KCTU issued a statement, Oct. 5, saying “We recommend that Starbucks employees form a labor union. We can support you at any time.”