Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Subcontractor Union Occupies Site
People Power Party: "Throwing Tantrums Won't Solve the Issue"
Democratic Party: "Korea Development Bank Must Step In to Resolve the Problem"
On the 13th, members of the Metal Workers' Union held a rally in front of the Industrial Bank of Korea in Yeouido, Seoul, demanding a wage increase for subcontracted workers at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@
As President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned a strict response to the ship occupation protest by the subcontractor labor union at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), the political sphere is showing sharp differences in perception between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the solution to this issue.
The ruling party, People Power Party, focuses on the ‘illegality’ of the strike conducted by the subcontractor union at the production site, while the Democratic Party places emphasis on the responsibility of the Korea Development Bank, the actual owner of DSME.
The People Power Party repeatedly highlighted that the business losses due to the strike have reached 660 billion KRW and that seven partner companies have decided to close down. Kwon Seong-dong, acting party leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the floor strategy meeting on the 19th, “There is no legal basis for the principal contractor, DSME, to intervene in the wages and treatment of subcontractors. This is not something that can be resolved by whining and stubbornness.” This aligns with the Yoon administration’s policy that illegal acts must not be tolerated. Acting leader Kwon added, “Illegality must end and legality must be guaranteed. The government should no longer hesitate and must strictly respond to illegality according to law and principles,” and “There is no extraterritorial zone in the Republic of Korea.”
Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is delivering opening remarks at a high-level party-government meeting held on the 17th at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, focusing on COVID-19 and economic measures. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Im Eui-ja, a member of the same party and former member of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, also said at the floor meeting, “The illegal strike by the Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions’ DSME subcontractor union, which tramples on the rights of other workers while only asserting their own rights, is a very cowardly form of negotiation and a deceptive tactic,” and warned, “We warn the leadership of the Democratic Confederation of Trade Unions. They must immediately come down from the steel structures and lead the union to engage in negotiations.”
On the other hand, the Democratic Party is focusing on the Korea Development Bank, which holds a 55.7% stake in DSME. Following the protest site in Geoje on the 12th, members of the Democratic Party’s Euljiro Committee visited the Korea Development Bank on the 18th to urge a resolution to the situation. They maintain that the Korea Development Bank must resolve this issue.
Woo Won-shik, the first chairman of the Euljiro Committee, said in a phone interview with this paper on the 19th, “If we only look at the ‘illegality’ of the strike site and proceed with the logic of suppression, we cannot solve the structural problems of the shipbuilding industry,” adding, “The government or political parties should take the role of mediating conflicts rather than inciting labor-to-labor conflicts.” Woo specifically mentioned, “The main creditor bank, Korea Development Bank, must resolve the issue of progress payments (amounts paid by construction clients according to the progress rate).”
Woo Won-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a lecture titled "Back to the Field" at the "Euljiro Committee Morning Special Lecture - The Euljiro Committee Rising Again" forum held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Yoon Young-duk, a member of the Euljiro Committee, also said in a phone interview with this paper, “The subcontractor workers’ strike is rooted in structural causes such as the irregular employment issue in the shipbuilding industry, the multi-layered subcontracting structure, and low wages,” and stated, “We should not just proceed with a strict response policy but open discussions so that the Korea Development Bank can come up with fundamental solutions.”
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