[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The illegal occupation incident at Hyundai Steel's Dangjin Steelworks by the union of its partner companies has ended after about 50 days.
According to Hyundai Steel and the partner companies' union, on the morning of the 13th, under the supervision of the Cheonan branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor at Dangjin Steelworks, a special consultation among three parties?Hyundai Steel, in-house partner companies, and the partner companies' union?resulted in an agreement focused on resolving the illegal occupation protest and normalizing factory operations.
With the final agreement, the union decided to immediately lift the illegal occupation protest at the control center and vacate the premises. Approximately 530 Hyundai Steel control center workers will be able to return to their workplaces. Partner company workers will also suspend their strike and return to the production site to help normalize factory operations.
On the 1st of last month, Hyundai Steel established subsidiaries in three regions?Dangjin (HyundaiITC), Incheon (HyundaiISC), and Pohang (HyundaiIMC)?by investing 100% equity, and employed about 5,000 in-house partner company workers as regular employees. This is the first case in the domestic private manufacturing sector where partner company workers were regularized through subsidiaries, providing an improved working environment with better wages and welfare benefits compared to the existing partner company system.
Hyundai Steel stated, "We will strive to quickly resolve the illegal occupation protest at the control center and restore normal factory operations. The newly launched subsidiaries are also stabilizing rapidly, and despite being in the early stages, the factories are operating normally without major issues. We will continue to contribute to expanding quality jobs and the development of local communities."
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