Time to forge better labor-management ties
Five local automakers breathed a sigh of relief as police raided a factory of key parts maker Yoosung Enterprise on Tuesday to end a weeklong strike by more than 500 unionized workers. However, the raid has deal a setback to the nation’s labor movement as the authorities mobilized riot police to disperse striking workers.
The government and management justified the police action, arguing that the raid was inevitable to end what was described as illegal strike. But the use of police force has deprived the unionists of further negotiation opportunities with management to narrow their differences over working conditions and wages. The authorities were too haste in destroying the principle of solving labor disputes through dialogue and compromise between workers and employers.
Of course, such a strike might bring about crippling consequences to the auto industry. Especially, the walkout at the parts maker was feared to deal a severe blow to the country’s top two automakers, Hyundai and Kia, whose market share in the U.S. rose to a record high of 9.4 percent last month.
Now, the authorities cannot deflect criticism for being too business friendly at the cost of workers’ interests. Their role is to promote industrial peace by protecting workers’ rights while preventing employers from engaging in illegal or unfair labor practices. This is not to say that the authorities overlook illegal strikes. What matters is that the government should let both labor and management abide by the law and play fair.
Unionized workers with Yoosung launched a walkout in the firm’s factory in Asan, 90km south of Seoul, May 18, after negotiations with management broke down. As the company takes a 70 percent share in the piston rings market alone, the work stoppage was a major concern for automakers.
The thorny issue was unionists’ demand for a two-shift working system and monthly payments, instead of the current three-shift one and weekly payments. The workers laid down tools after the company turned down their demands. The management immediately shut down factories and positioned hired guards to block the unionists from entering the factory compound. Then, the strikers occupied the factory staging a sit-in.
In protest against the police crackdown, the metal workers’ union, which the Yoosung unionists belong to, has threatened to stage a one-day walkout. It remains to be seen whether the authorities can ease the backlash from labor. It is also uncertain whether the unionists and the company can heal the wounds of the dispute and move toward better ties.
We urge the authorities to refrain from mobilizing police to crack down on striking workers in the future. They are required to play a more active role of helping labor and management solve their dispute in a peaceful way.
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