An Unusual Visit
The opposition parties’ lawmakers from the Environmental and Labor Committee of the National Assembly of Korea will visit the headquarters of India’s Mahindra and Mahindra Group to discuss ways to rehire workers laid off by Ssangyong Motor.
According to parliamentary sources on November 10, the main opposition Democratic Party’s two lawmakers Hong Young-pyo and Eun Soo-mi and minor Progressive Justice Party lawmaker Sim Sang-jung will go to India to meet with the Indian conglomerate’s top management late on November 11 (Indian time).
The three lawmakers and a director from Korea’s labor ministry will have talks at the Indian company’s headquarters with Chairman Anand Mahindra and President Pawan Goenka, who is responsible for its automotive and farm equipment operations.
Lawmaker Hong said, “We hope that legal action taken by Ssangyong Motor against union member workers can be resolved in a mutually acceptable manner through talks with the top management,” adding that discussions will also be made about reinstating the workers laid off during the strikes.
Lawmaker Shim also said, “Ssangyong Motor President Lee Yoo-il hinted in an interview conducted last month that the Indian carmaker should keep its promises about the reinstatement of some workers,” adding, “It is our hope that the Indian conglomerate keeps the promises it made.”
The Mahindra Group took over Ssangyong Motor in early 2011, and since then the faltering Korean company has become South Korea’s fourth-largest carmaker, beating Renault Samsung Motors.