Some of the country's conglomerates have a bad track record of suppressing labor unions. One of them is Samsung Group, Korea's largest family-run chaebol, which is infamous for preventing its workers from setting up unions since its founding in 1938.
Samsung's latest anti-labor move dates back to 2013 when Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party disclosed the group's 2012 document detailing its strategy against unions. Then the umbrella labor union of metal workers lodged a complaint against 36 executives and managers, including Chairman Lee Kun-hee, for alleged unfair labor practices.
In 2015 under the rule of conservative President Park Geun-hye, the prosecution decided not to bring any charges against them, saying it found no evidence proving the allegation. But, the prosecution started reinvestigating the case in February this year after securing additional documents aimed at disrupting the Samsung labor union.
On Thursday, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted 16 former and incumbent executives from Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electronics Services on charges of suppressing the labor union and its members. The office also brought charges against seven chiefs of the services' subcontractors and three officials from the Korea Employers Federation (KEF) for collaborating with Samsung in the alleged illegal scheme against the union. The world's top electronics maker and the services company were also inducted.
According to investigators, Samsung Group had made systematic attempts to disintegrate the union, which workers at Samsung Electronics Services formed in 2013. The group even mobilized KEF officials, senior police officers and former labor ministry officials to solicit advice on how best to neutralize the union.
More serious was that the accused group officials pressured employees to quit the union. They even threatened to cut the wages of union members. In addition, the officials did not hesitate to force subcontractors to go under if they were found to be friendly toward unions or unionists.
Samsung's alleged anti-union scheme, if found true, is illegal. It is also against the Constitution, which guarantees the three labor rights -- the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining and the right to collective action.
Samsung's "no labor unions" policy is anachronistic. How can it continue such a policy, which was only possible under military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s? Mobilizing every possible means to prevent union activities is not only harmful to employees, but also to companies. It would be better for companies to work out a win-win strategy for management and labor.
It is time for Samsung and other big corporations to change their hostile attitudes toward unions and their members. The conglomerates should no longer regard workers as components to produce goods and services. They must treat employees as valuable human resources as well as partners. Only then can businesses, especially big ones, prevent a recurrence of Samsung's shameful case.
Samsung's latest anti-labor move dates back to 2013 when Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party disclosed the group's 2012 document detailing its strategy against unions. Then the umbrella labor union of metal workers lodged a complaint against 36 executives and managers, including Chairman Lee Kun-hee, for alleged unfair labor practices.
In 2015 under the rule of conservative President Park Geun-hye, the prosecution decided not to bring any charges against them, saying it found no evidence proving the allegation. But, the prosecution started reinvestigating the case in February this year after securing additional documents aimed at disrupting the Samsung labor union.
On Thursday, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted 16 former and incumbent executives from Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electronics Services on charges of suppressing the labor union and its members. The office also brought charges against seven chiefs of the services' subcontractors and three officials from the Korea Employers Federation (KEF) for collaborating with Samsung in the alleged illegal scheme against the union. The world's top electronics maker and the services company were also inducted.
According to investigators, Samsung Group had made systematic attempts to disintegrate the union, which workers at Samsung Electronics Services formed in 2013. The group even mobilized KEF officials, senior police officers and former labor ministry officials to solicit advice on how best to neutralize the union.
More serious was that the accused group officials pressured employees to quit the union. They even threatened to cut the wages of union members. In addition, the officials did not hesitate to force subcontractors to go under if they were found to be friendly toward unions or unionists.
Samsung's alleged anti-union scheme, if found true, is illegal. It is also against the Constitution, which guarantees the three labor rights -- the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining and the right to collective action.
Samsung's "no labor unions" policy is anachronistic. How can it continue such a policy, which was only possible under military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s? Mobilizing every possible means to prevent union activities is not only harmful to employees, but also to companies. It would be better for companies to work out a win-win strategy for management and labor.
It is time for Samsung and other big corporations to change their hostile attitudes toward unions and their members. The conglomerates should no longer regard workers as components to produce goods and services. They must treat employees as valuable human resources as well as partners. Only then can businesses, especially big ones, prevent a recurrence of Samsung's shameful case.
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