An aerial view of Gwangju Global Motors in Deoknim-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. [Provided by Gwangju city]
An aerial view of Gwangju Global Motors in Deoknim-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. [Provided by Gwangju city]

Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) and its union held intensive wage and collective bargaining talks but again failed to reach an agreement, prolonging a long-running labor dispute.

The two sides held two rounds of talks per week from June 22 through Wednesday, but were unable to narrow their differences.

Of the 204 clauses under discussion, the two sides reached agreement on 81, while the union withdrew 77 others. The remaining clauses could not be resolved.

The union demanded that a union office be set up inside the company's premises — something it had not previously been provided — but management stood firm on its position to offer office space outside the workplace.

The union also requested fixed bonuses and holiday bonuses that have not been paid, but reached no agreement with management on those either.

Talks broke down entirely after management insisted the union first accept a 500-hour cap on paid union activity before negotiations on the remaining issues could continue, the union said.

With the talks collapsed, management said it would also discontinue the negotiating space and the three-days-per-week paid leave for union officials that had been provided on a temporary basis during the intensive bargaining period.

The union held a press conference Wednesday outside the Gwangju office of the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, saying it had withdrawn many of its demands in an effort to find common ground, but that management had stood firm on its original positions. It added that the integrated city must step in actively, as the labor-management conflict cannot be resolved without replacing the current management.

GGM said it would work to stabilize operations, noting that as a company founded on the "Gwangju-type jobs" model, GGM's success is the future of the local community. "We will also seek a path of coexistence and cooperation with the union while guaranteeing the three fundamental labor rights," it said.


sij@heraldcorp.com