(Yonhap)
South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday expressed strong regret over the collapse of labor negotiations with its union, while reiterating its intention to continue dialogue in order to avoid a worst-case scenario.
“The post-mediation process, which the government worked hard to arrange, unfortunately collapsed due to the union’s declaration of a breakdown,” Samsung Electronics said in a statement on Wednesday. “The union’s decision is deeply regrettable as it causes significant concern and anxiety not only for the company, but also for employees awaiting a settlement in negotiations, as well as shareholders and the public.”
The company also noted that the government supported the negotiations by presenting various alternatives based on the arguments of both labor and management.
However, the union has consistently insisted on a rigid system, rejecting the company’s proposal for a flexible system tied to business performance, it said.
“We will continue our efforts to prevent the worst-case scenario through sincere dialogue until the very end,” it said.
Samsung Electronics management and labor underwent a two-day post-mediation process on Monday and Tuesday under the mediation of the Central Labor Relations Commission (CLRC).
However, after the second day of talks concluded early on Wednesday, the union declared a breakdown in the process, stating that “we demanded the abolition of the cap on performance bonuses, along with increased transparency and institutionalization, but these demands were not met.”
The union plans to stage a general strike for 18 days from May 21 through June 7, claiming that as many as 50,000 workers could participate.
While saying there are no plans at the moment for further negotiations with management, the union added that it is “willing to listen if the company brings forward a proper proposal.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yun-cheol, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that “there absolutely must not be a strike.”
“The government will continue to provide support until the very end so that the issue can be resolved through principled negotiations under any circumstances,” Koo said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
“The government deeply regrets that labor-management negotiations at Samsung Electronics failed to reach a settlement even after the government’s post-mediation efforts,” he said. “Both sides should continue striving to achieve principled negotiations while comprehensively considering the current business environment and the impact on the national economy.”
댓글
0