‘51-day Sit-in Protest’ Former Daewoo Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union Receives Suspended Sentence and Fine in First Trial

Former subcontractor union workers of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean), who occupied a shipyard and confined themselves inside an iron cage during a long-term strike, were sentenced to probation and fines in the first trial after 2 years and 7 months.

The Criminal Division 2 of Tongyeong Branch, Changwon District Court, Gyeongnam (Judge Kim Jin-oh) on the 19th sentenced Kim Hyung-su, president of the Geoje-Tongyeong-Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union of the Korean Metal Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, to three years in prison with four years probation and a fine of 1 million won.

Yu Choi-an, vice president of the Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union, was sentenced to two years in prison with three years probation, and 26 union members were given suspended prison sentences and fines.

In June 2022, members of the subcontractor branch of the Metal Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in Geoje, Tongyeong, and Goseong staged a sit-in protest at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the court, these 28 individuals were indicted on charges including obstructing business operations during a 51-day strike starting June 2, 2022, at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering’s Geoje plant.

At that time, they initiated the strike demanding the restoration of wages that had been cut by about 30% due to the shipbuilding industry recession in 2015.

They occupied the shipbuilding dock and staged a sit-in inside an iron structure measuring 1 meter in width, length, and height.

On July 22 of the same year, the strike ended after a dramatic agreement between labor and management on a 4.5% wage increase, but the dock occupation caused Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to halt its launching operation for the first time since its founding.

In response, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering filed a lawsuit against the Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union seeking damages amounting to 47 billion won, including delay compensation and sales losses, which has been temporarily suspended after the third hearing on June 3 last year.

The court stated, “The defendants exceeded a reasonable extent guaranteed by labor rights during the assembly process, committing joint obstruction of business and confinement with many union members, and considering the extent of damage, the nature of the crime is not light.”

However, the court explained the sentencing by saying, “Considering comprehensively that there was a public interest purpose such as improving the poor working conditions of subcontracted workers and enhancing economic quality rather than personal gain.”

Earlier, the prosecution requested a sentence of four years and six months in prison for President Kim and three years in prison for former Vice President Yu during the closing arguments.

After the sentencing, the Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union declared their intention to appeal, stating, “The 51-day strike is not guilty.”