[News Today] ‘Post-mediation’ in Samsung union dispute

[LEAD]

The labor dispute at Samsung Electronics is entering a new phase. The government appears to be moving beyond a wait-and-see approach and preparing to mediate directly. It's considering a post-mediation process to restart labor-management talks, which have been stalled for more than a month.

[REPORT]

The last time Samsung Electronics union members met with the management was March 27.

Since then, the labor union declared a suspension of negotiations and no official contact has been made for some forty days now.

There hasn't been any report of behind-the-scenes talks.

The key issue is whether to allocate yearly a fixed percentage of operational profit for performance bonuses, but the two sides haven't been able to find any common ground.

The government believes that resuming dialogue is of utmost importance and is reviewing whether to start the 'post-mediation' procedure.

'Post-mediation' refers to a process in which the National Labor Relations Commission again intervenes at the workplace where mediation has failed and a strike is imminent.

On principle, both the labor and the management have to apply for it but the process can begin when one party requests it and the other agrees to it.

The involved parties get to sit down at the negotiating table once more.

Kim Young-hoon / Minister of Employment and Labor

If the labor-management negotiation table is set up, the gov’t will spare no effort to expedite the actual negotiations.

The fact that the chief of the Gyeonggi District Employment and Labor Office, which oversees Samsung Electronics headquarters, is set to meet with union representatives also appears to reflect the government effort.

The two chief executive officers of Samsung Electronics issued a statement saying that "the company will continue to negotiate with an open attitude and work toward a direction that employees can relate to".

The union originally announced that the strike would begin on May 21, which is less than two weeks away.