E-Land Unionists' Strike for their Right to Live
Co. Fired non-regular counter cashiers before the law went effect
Jo Tae-Guen
Thousands of unionized workers at the E-Land Group, a major fashion and retail outlet, continued to walk off their jobs for more than a week, demanding that the company cancel its decision to lay off more than 900 irregular workers.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major umbrella
labor group to which the E-Land union belongs, threw its support behind
the striking workers, saying that its leadership would join in the
protest.
The labor unrest was caused just after the new non-regular worker
protection laws took effect on July 1. The law requires companies to
grant non-regular employees, who have worked for more than two years,
regular worker status. Homever and New Co!
re, retail arms of E-land Group, fired non-regular counter cashiers at
the stores so as to outsource their jobs just before the law went into
effect.
E-Land union workers walked off their jobs, calling for the return
of laid-off, non-regular workers and an immediate end to the
management’s move to outsource cashiers at 10 outlets in major cities
including Seoul, Incheon and Ulsan.
At the Homever store at Seoul World Cup Stadium, 600 unionists
continued their strike for a ninth day, bringing operations at all 12
discount stores across the nation to a halt.
However officials from the company said that the decisions were
made by affiliates of the group in consideration of their own business
efficiency under potential pressure that the costs for employees wou!
ld be higher due to the non-regular worker protection laws.
Police have issued arrest warrants for six key labor union members.
But cheif of the police said police would wait and see the result of
dialogue between the union and the management.
The KCTU with E-land union claims that they are going to continue
its strike to protest the management’s decision to lay off non-regular
workers.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to resolve the conflict Lee, Seok-hang,
chief of the KCTU met with Labor Minister Lee, Sang-soo on 9 Jul. But
they could not have consensus on how to end clash.
E-Land union and the management are expected to have dialogue on 10
Jul. But it is unlikely that they can reach an agreement as Kim,
Gyung-wook, chief of the union and other leaders are on the list of
arrest.
So far the management refused to withdraw the accusation.
Comments