Kakao Union Resumes Opposition to Mobility Sale... "Management's Commitment to Sale is Firm"

Seungwook Seo, head of the Kakao Labor Union, is holding a one-person protest against the sale of Kakao Mobility at Pangyo Station Plaza.

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The Kakao labor union is resuming its signature campaign against the sale of Kakao Mobility just ten days after an emergency meeting with management.

On the 6th, the Kakao labor union 'Crew Union' announced, "During the meeting with management, Kakao took a last-ditch stance that if the sale fails, it will abandon the mobility business," and declared that it would restart the temporarily suspended signature campaign opposing the sale of Kakao Mobility.

The union explained that it plans to hold a picket protest and press conference opposing the sale in front of the Kakao Mobility and Kakao Pangyo headquarters, and will take follow-up collective actions such as collective bargaining with Kakao Mobility to improve labor conditions.

On this day, the Kakao union disclosed the results of an emergency meeting held last month with Kim Seongsu, head of the Kakao Community Alignment Center (CAC).

According to the union, in the first negotiation held on the 27th of last month, Kakao acknowledged the sale push and stated, "Kakao will remain the second largest shareholder and design a direction to continue the business in the future."

At that time, the union conveyed its opposition to the sale to private equity funds, but the company maintained its position, saying, "We are not considering any options other than the sale to private equity funds."

Before the second negotiation, the union requested the management to ▲ fulfill the moral responsibility of the mobility executives ▲ conduct reviews and discussions on employees and business direction ▲ explain the progress of Kakao Mobility's fulfillment of social responsibility ▲ discuss platform workers and the direction of the sale ▲ and have Kim Beom-su, head of the Kakao Future Initiative Center, participate at the negotiation table.

However, on the 4th of this month, the company rejected the union's requests, stating, "The final decision-maker is Kim Seongsu, chairman of the Kakao board." The union reported that the company dismissed the requests by saying, "Within the company called Kakao, mobility can no longer grow as a platform, so the sale is inevitable for business growth."

The union asked the management, "Is there any basis for the mobility business to grow if sold to a private equity fund?" but the management repeatedly stated, "We have no intention to continue the mobility business," the union pointed out.

Lee Jeong-dae, a staff member of the Kakao Mobility branch, criticized, "The company's claim that the growth potential of Kakao Mobility is guaranteed just because Kakao becomes the second largest shareholder is ironic."

Seo Seung-wook, head of the Kakao union branch, said, "We will unite the strength of all community employees so that Kakao Mobility and Kakao can make the right decision," and added, "We ask the public to continue paying attention to Kakao, which is trying to dismantle mobility platforms such as taxis, designated drivers, and bikes without even fulfilling its social responsibility."