Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, Says "Daewoo Shipbuilding Strike Is Clearly Illegal... Please Stop"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government has clearly defined the actions of the subcontractor union at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Okpo Shipyard, Geoje, Gyeongnam, who have been on strike for over 40 days, as illegal, and has requested that they stop the unlawful occupation of the shipyard so that the issue can be resolved through dialogue.

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On the 14th, Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, stated in a public address at the Government Seoul Office, "Currently, some members of the in-house subcontractor union at DSME have illegally occupied production facilities to enforce their demands," emphasizing that "this act harms about 8,000 primary contractors and 10,000 in-house subcontractor workers."

Earlier, some members of the DSME subcontractor workplace union, affiliated with the Korean Metal Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, began a strike on the 2nd of last month demanding wage increases. Since the 18th of the same month, they have been occupying the largest first dock (shipbuilding yard) at Okpo Shipyard, where a super-large crude oil carrier is under construction.

One union member has installed a steel-bar cage on the ship's floor and welded the entrance shut, effectively self-imprisoning, while six members are conducting a high-altitude protest atop a horizontal frame about 20 meters high. They are demanding recognition of full-time union officials, provision of a union office, a 30% wage increase, and a 300% increase in bonuses.

According to DSME, the illegal strike by the subcontractor union caused losses exceeding 280 billion KRW last month alone, and if the strike continues, daily revenue losses of 26 billion KRW and fixed cost losses of 6 billion KRW are expected.

Minister Lee pointed out, "Some union members have blocked the entrance to the ship, making it impossible to access the ship itself, which poses a very high risk of safety accidents," and added, "Because the ship cannot be launched from the dock, damages from work disruptions are accumulating."

He further expressed regret, saying, "We deeply regret that some union members continue the occupation, ignoring the government's negotiation efforts," and reiterated, "The ship occupation is clearly illegal and could lead to mutual destruction of both labor and management."

Minister Lee stated, "Labor movements that disregard the harm to non-union members to enforce their demands, such as illegal occupation, are no longer acceptable in our society regardless of the legitimacy of their claims," and appealed once again, "We urge the unlawful ship occupation to cease."

He added, "The government will listen to your voices and support resolving the issue through dialogue," and urged, "We also ask subcontractor business owners to actively engage in negotiations to establish reasonable alternatives."

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