Korea GM has abruptly notified the head of its labor union branch of dismissal ahead of this year's wage negotiations, intensifying labor-management conflict.
According to the Korea GM branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union on June 12, Korea GM sent a formal letter of dismissal to Ahn Kyubaek, head of the Korea GM branch, the previous day. In the letter, the company stated that Ahn would be dismissed effective March 31 due to termination following dismissal.
In 2020, Ahn Kyubaek, then a union delegate, along with other union executives, visited the executive office in protest because the company had increased production volume at the Bupyeong Plant without consulting the union. During this protest, they were accused of damaging office equipment and were subsequently dismissed.
Afterward, Ahn filed a lawsuit to nullify the disciplinary action, winning at the Central Labor Relations Commission and in the first trial, but losing in the second trial. In February of this year, the Supreme Court upheld the disciplinary action, finalizing the dismissal.
The union is questioning the timing of the company's dismissal notice. A union official stated, "Even after the Supreme Court ruling, the company verbally recognized Ahn's status as a labor-management partner," and claimed, "Notifying dismissal only now is intended to pressure the union ahead of the wage negotiations." The company declined to comment, citing personnel matters.
Korea GM labor and management have been holding negotiations since the wage bargaining kick-off meeting last month. The union plans to hold a general assembly for union members on June 17 and conduct a strike authorization vote on June 18.
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