'Unfair Recruitment' Report: 415 Employees Moved from HD Hyundai Shipbuilding to Competitor

It has been revealed that more than 400 personnel from competing companies have moved to HD Hyundai Group's shipbuilding companies over the past two and a half years amid allegations of 'unfair recruitment of personnel.'

According to data submitted by the Fair Trade Commission to Kang Min-guk, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee from the People Power Party, from 2021 to May of this year, 415 experienced workers joined the three HD Hyundai shipbuilding companies (Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries).

Among them, 180 were from Samsung Heavy Industries, the largest number, followed by 179 from Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering), 33 from K Shipbuilding, and 23 from Daehan Shipbuilding.

Earlier, four companies?Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, K Shipbuilding, and Daehan Shipbuilding?filed complaints with the Fair Trade Commission in August last year, claiming that their personnel were unfairly poached. In their complaint, they alleged that HD Hyundai contacted numerous key technical personnel and offered excessive benefits beyond normal compensation and preferential treatment in the hiring process, which could constitute interference with business activities under the Fair Trade Act.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Fair Trade Commission launched an on-site investigation in November last year, but no results have been announced so far.

Assemblyman Kang stated, "In a situation of labor shortage in the shipbuilding industry, poaching talented personnel nurtured by other companies is an act that dampens the shipbuilding market," and emphasized, "The Fair Trade Commission must promptly investigate the unfair recruitment practices of large shipbuilding companies."

A representative from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said, "Despite the challenging business environment, we have consistently conducted open recruitment, and experienced hires have also been made under equal conditions through the usual open recruitment procedures," adding, "The allegations of unfair recruitment are completely unfounded, and we have been cooperating sincerely with the Fair Trade Commission's investigation."