Union to join KCTU general strike on July 15; plans to file complaints against client firms that refuse to bargain

Members of the National Plant Construction Workers' Union hold a press conference at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday to declare a general strike aimed at winning direct negotiations with primary contractors. [Yonhap]
Members of the National Plant Construction Workers' Union hold a press conference at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday to declare a general strike aimed at winning direct negotiations with primary contractors. [Yonhap]

The National Plant Construction Workers' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), announced Tuesday it will launch a solidarity general strike in August alongside the construction workers' union, pressing primary contractors to come to the bargaining table. If the strike goes ahead, it would likely become the first lawful walkout by a subcontractor union against a primary contractor since the Yellow Envelope Law took effect.

The union made the announcement at a press conference at KCTU headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, saying it had "gathered the full consensus of its members and decided to wage a general strike in August."

Union chairman Lee Ju-an said a strike ballot conducted from June 19 to June 26 passed with 79.2 percent approval. "We will proceed with the general strike in accordance with the will of our members," he said.

The union plans first to join the KCTU's July 15 general strike calling for direct negotiations with primary contractors, then pursue a separate solidarity general strike in August. To secure the legal right to strike, the union said it would file for labor dispute mediation with the Labor Relations Commission this month. Once the commission decides to suspend mediation, the union may legally proceed with a strike.

The union said primary contractors have refused to negotiate even after being recognized as employers under the law. It added that it would file complaints with the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office against three client companies that have yet to enter talks with the subcontractor union, on charges of neglecting bargaining obligations.

Since the Yellow Envelope Law took effect, the plant construction union has demanded direct negotiations with four client companies — Posco, S-Oil, Korea Zinc and SK Energy — as well as 10 general construction companies including SK Ecoplant. Both regional and central labor relations commissions have issued rulings recognizing those companies as employers under the law.

The union said, however, that most of the companies — with the exception of Posco and Hyundai Engineering — have not even posted public notices acknowledging the union's bargaining demands. Lee said Posco had refused to engage in four rounds of negotiations before finally posting such a notice on Monday. "Whether there is genuine intent to negotiate or whether this is simply a delaying tactic remains to be seen," he said.

The union also said the risk of industrial accidents at plant construction sites nationwide is growing due to neglected aging equipment and failure to meet safety standards, and that low contract prices under the lowest-bid system are driving long hours and night shifts, further raising the risk of accidents. It called on primary contractors to negotiate directly to improve workplace safety and working conditions.

KCTU chairman Yang Gyeong-su also criticized a recent Labor Relations Commission ruling that denied separate bargaining rights to unions affiliated with different umbrella organizations. "Refusing to recognize separate bargaining does not encourage joint negotiations — it in effect strips certain unions of their right to bargain altogether," he said.


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