[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Jeonnam Youth Future Foundation Branch of the National Public Transport Union Gwangju Jeonnam Branch has started a one-person protest demanding strict punishment and prevention of recurrence for perpetrators of workplace bullying and abuse of power that have occurred over several years.
In a press release on the 8th, the labor union stated, "The investigation into allegations of abuse of power within the Youth Future Foundation, which began on the 8th of last month, was completed on the 26th of the same month, and the investigation results have been submitted," adding, "According to the union's own investigation, workplace bullying within the Jeonnam Youth Future Foundation has been occurring routinely since 2017, causing victims extreme pain, anxiety, and creating an oppressive work environment."
They continued, "One victim suffered severe mental distress and even received psychiatric diagnosis, requiring ongoing treatment. Workplace bullying victims were widespread beyond the same center, with contract workers experiencing even more severe cases, and more than six people have resigned due to workplace bullying," they emphasized.
The victims testified that they were subjected to personal insults such as "Come here. I will hit you," "One typo equals one hit," and "You're almost 50 years old; I don't know why you live like this." The union also claimed that someone sucked only the chocolate part of peanut chocolates, spat out the peanuts on the ground, and then ordered junior staff to pick them up and eat them.
Additionally, the union alleged unreasonable bullying acts such as "Where does a contract worker get to interrupt a regular employee," "Why are you looking at me annoyingly," and "(To an employee who was hospitalized) If you don't come to work, I won't let the staff leave. Come out even if you have to use a wheelchair."
The union stated, "The perpetrator even made an unreasonable request to the foundation to disclose the victims' statements and shifted the cause of the workplace bullying onto the victims, showing no sign of remorse," emphasizing, "A thorough investigation must also be conducted on the six resigned victims."
They added, "We are concerned that the personnel actions against the two perpetrators to be taken at the personnel committee on the 12th may be merely formal," and "The Jeonnam Human Rights Center is also scheduled to conduct an investigation, and we plan to request that the investigation include the resigned victims as well."
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