Final Settlement Reached in Workplace Power Abuse Case at Gwangyang Environment Corporation

Gwangyang City Council Vice Chairman Baek Seong-ho Mediates Through Marathon Negotiations

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do announced on the 5th that the labor-management parties reached a final agreement through the persistent mediation of Baek Seong-ho, Vice Chairman of the Gwangyang City Council, about four months after the power abuse incident that occurred on April 16 at the office of Gwangyang Environmental Corporation in Jungmadong.

Meanwhile, the Public Solidarity Gwangyang Environmental Corporation Branch (Branch Chief Ko Hoe-seok) insisted that since Gwangyang City is the primary contractor of Gwangyang Environmental Corporation, which is entrusted with the collection and transportation of household waste, the city should step in to resolve the power abuse incident that occurred within the workplace of Gwangyang Environmental Corporation. They continued protests for about two months, starting with a picket protest in front of the city hall on June 1 and a tent sit-in on June 28.

The city met several times with labor-management representatives of Gwangyang Environmental Corporation to mediate, but the differences between the parties were not easily bridged, resulting in repeated failures.

Feeling regretful about this, Baek Seong-ho, Vice Chairman of the Gwangyang City Council, held two meetings on August 5 and 6 with nine participants including the Public Solidarity Gwangyang City Branch, Gwangyang Environmental Corporation, and city officials. They reached a final agreement between labor and management, including improvements to the team leader system to prevent recurrence of power abuse incidents.

Kim Jae-hee, Director of the Resource Circulation Division, who signed the final agreement, said, “I hope that by taking this incident as a lesson, labor and management will continuously communicate to create a pleasant and vibrant workplace atmosphere, transforming Gwangyang Environmental Corporation into a workplace where people enjoy working, and contribute to creating a ‘clean Gwangyang City where citizens are happy.’”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr