HMM Union Asks for Help to Avoid Strike... Requests Assistance from Cheong Wa Dae

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] As HMM's labor union faces the threat of a strike due to difficulties in wage and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, they visited the Blue House to seek assistance. This is because the management and the creditor, the Korea Development Bank, have been reluctant to improve employee treatment, including wage increases, citing the injection of public funds, prompting the union to ask the government to intervene.

According to the shipping industry on the 4th, Kim Jin-man, chairman of the HMM Land Labor Union, and Jeon Jeong-geun, chairman of the Maritime Labor Union, met with officials from the Office of Civil Society at Yeonpungmun within the Blue House on the afternoon of the 4th.

The two chairmen conveyed that HMM employees have worked under harsh conditions for years to support the company's recovery and the shipping reconstruction plan, but the management and the Korea Development Bank are reluctant to raise wages, citing the injection of public funds. They also warned that if an actual strike occurs, a logistics crisis in exports would be inevitable, and requested help to prevent the union from striking.

At the meeting, Chairman Jeon also delivered a "Letter to the President" appealing for better treatment of seafarers.

Chairman Jeon said, "Thanks to the President's decisive leadership and drive, the shipping reconstruction plan has prevented not only an export crisis but also the collapse of export-import companies," but added, "There were no seafarers involved in that shipping reconstruction."

He continued, "Seafarers, who have endured difficult conditions such as boarding ships for over a year due to a lack of replacements, are leaving, and ships are preparing to be docked, but the government and the company are only celebrating building more ships," emphasizing, "The President stressed 'People first,' but the situation feels like 'Ships first.'"

He further appealed, "We do not want to strike to avoid any ships being docked, but the current situation is pushing us toward a strike," and pleaded, "Please help us so that ships do not stop."

Currently, HMM's labor and management have not been able to narrow their differences over wage increase rates. The Land Labor Union has applied for dispute mediation with the Central Labor Relations Commission, and the Maritime Labor Union plans to apply for mediation with the Central Labor Relations Commission if the fourth round of negotiations fails. Both unions have stated that if mediation at the Central Labor Relations Commission does not lead to an agreement, they will proceed with a strike.