Labor Opposed to Company's Plan to Divide Itself

Unionized workers of Hyundai Heavy Industries stage an all-out strike on May 28 in front of the venue for an extraordinary shareholders' meeting in Ulsan.

Hyundai Heavy Industries is coming to a devastating end over corporate division for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering acquisition. Unionized workers staged an all-out strike on May 22 and the management took action against it on May 28 by suing 23 workers. The number is likely to increase over time as the company is going to show no leniency.

The 23 workers are divided into seven executive members of the union who led the strike on May 22, three union members who allegedly interfered with safety training during the strike, and 13 members who allegedly assaulted police officers in trying to occupy the company’s office in Seoul.

The unionized workers are dead set against the acquisition. Recently, the management announced that the company would be divided before the merger into Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering as an intermediate holding and surviving company and Hyundai Heavy Industries as a new operating company. Then, the workers staged partial and all-out strikes.

On May 27 and 28, they occupied and held a sit-in protest at the venue of an extraordinary shareholders' meeting for the corporate division located in Ulsan City. They set up tents here and there around the venue and police officers have been dispatched to the area.

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