Recommendations for Both Sides to Comply with the Labor-Management Win-Win Development Agreement
GGM: "Introduction of New Models and Expansion of Supply Volume"
Union: "Cooperation to Achieve the 350,000-Unit Production Target Early"
The Gwangju City Labor-Management-Civic-Government Council has recommended mediation and arbitration measures to resolve labor-management conflicts at Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), a key Gwangju-style job initiative.
On the 2nd, the council held the ‘2nd Labor-Management-Civic-Government Council of 2025’ in the city hall’s main conference room and delivered the mediation and arbitration proposal to GGM and the Gwangju city government.
The mediation proposal was prepared unanimously after the council formed a special mediation and arbitration committee last January in response to growing concerns in the local community over the GGM conflict. The committee held a total of nine meetings and gathered opinions from eight organizations and groups.
The Special Mediation and Arbitration Committee was established based on the ‘Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Gwangju City Labor-Management-Civic-Government Council’ and the ‘Labor-Management Win-Win Development Agreement.’ It consists of six members representing labor, management, experts, the city council, and administration.
The mediation and arbitration proposal is based on three core principles: mutual growth, harmony, and future orientation. It is grounded in the spirit of the ‘Labor-Management Win-Win Development Agreement’ and the legal and contractual promise to ‘respect the three labor rights’ guaranteed by the Constitution.
The proposal recommends that both GGM management and the labor union comply with the ‘Labor-Management Win-Win Development Agreement’ reflecting the founding spirit of GGM, and prepare measures to improve labor-management culture, such as consulting for building cooperative labor-management relations.
The "2025 2nd Labor-Management-Civil-Government Council" meeting is being held on the morning of the 2nd at the Gwangju City Hall Medium Conference Room. Provided by Gwangju City
For GGM management, the recommendations include: providing office space necessary for union and labor-management council activities; implementing check-off for union dues; expanding the scope of paid time off for collective bargaining (from 4 hours to 8 hours); presenting a vision for increased production volume (introducing a two-shift system) and new model launches; and expanding the joint employee welfare fund.
For the GGM labor union, the recommendations are: to withhold strikes until the production target of 350,000 units is achieved to ensure job security; to respect the role of the labor-management win-win council; and to actively cooperate with the introduction of a two-shift system to achieve the 350,000-unit production goal as early as possible.
For the Gwangju city government, the recommendations include: actively implementing joint welfare programs; increasing the joint employee welfare fund to enhance practical welfare; providing realistic housing support reflecting inflation and rising housing costs; and establishing a permanent subcommittee under the council to monitor labor-management issues at GGM.
Kang Gijung, chairperson of the Gwangju City Labor-Management-Civic-Government Council, stated, “The mediation and arbitration proposal was prepared rationally based on the founding purpose of the Gwangju-style job initiative and relevant laws, after carefully listening to a wide range of opinions from stakeholders and civil society. I hope that this hard-won proposal will be accepted by all parties, further advancing the Gwangju-style job model of mutual growth and cooperation.”
A GGM official said, “Although the mediation and arbitration proposal includes some elements that do not fully align with the spirit of the Labor-Management Win-Win Development Agreement and thus poses some burden on the company, we will respect it as it was presented after thorough deliberation by the council, which played a key role in the agreement during GGM’s establishment.” The official added, “Given the recent favorable reviews and strong sales of Casper both domestically and internationally, the company is at a critical crossroads. We will strive to restore internal stability as soon as possible and contribute even more to revitalizing the local economy and creating jobs.”
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