Samsung Display Labor and Management Running on 'Parallel Lines'... Collective Agreement Heads to Central Labor Relations Commission

Metalworkers Federation - Samsung Display 2nd Collective Bargaining Session
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Young-seok = On the afternoon of the 3rd of last month, at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions meeting room in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Kim Man-jae, chairman of the Metalworkers Federation, is giving a greeting speech at the 2nd collective bargaining session between the National Metalworkers' Union Federation and Samsung Display. 2020.6.3
ondol@yna.co.kr
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[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Since Samsung officially abandoned its no-union management policy, Samsung Display's labor and management, which attracted attention by holding the first large-scale wage and collective bargaining agreement (CBA), are currently at an impasse. The CBA was suspended due to differences in opinions between the two sides, and the labor union has applied to the Central Labor Relations Commission for labor dispute mediation.

According to industry sources on the 20th, the Central Labor Relations Commission will review the mediation related to Samsung Display's working conditions agreement at 2 p.m. on the 21st. The Central Labor Relations Commission is a quasi-judicial institution under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, where worker representatives, employer representatives, and public interest commissioners deliberate labor issues by consensus. The union recently applied for mediation, requesting that the national institution intervene to mediate the unresolved collective agreement and working conditions from the recent CBA negotiations.

Earlier, about 20 days after Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's public apology declaring the end of no-union management, Samsung Display became the first Samsung affiliate to hold a labor-management meeting, raising expectations.

However, since the initial labor-management meeting on May 26, Samsung Display's labor and management have been in conflict from the start over the selection of the CBA venue and the main negotiation participants. Subsequently, the CBA negotiations alternated between the local office near the Asan plant and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in Yeouido, Seoul.

The union has continuously demanded that the collective agreement include provisions for an office for union activities, time off for union officials, and permission to distribute internal promotional materials. The management side maintains that it is not yet appropriate to demand conditions equal to those of the existing labor-management council, which has long served as a representative body elected by employees. Since the union has just been established, they believe time is needed to create the rules. It is reported that Samsung Display President Lee Dong-hoon met with joint union leaders Kim Jeong-ran and Lee Chang-wan on the 7th, two days before the fifth negotiation, and said, "The labor-management council has served as a representative body elected by employees for the past 20 years and has legitimacy as it was elected with a voter turnout of over 60%."

Inside and outside the business community, it is common for labor and management to struggle for dominance in the early stages of union establishment, but there are concerns that if this atmosphere persists for a long time, it could negatively affect the company. A business community official said, "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both management and the labor market situation are unfavorable. If labor-management discord continues for a long time, it will harm the corporate image, so mutual understanding is necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.