OSHA Inspections

 

It was confirmed that the US federal government is conducting workplace inspections of Korean auto makers in the nation. 

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently made an unexpected visit to Korean auto manufacturers in the southeast region, and conducted inspections on working conditions and work environments. 

On March 18, OSHA sent its compliance officers without notice to five partner companies of Hyundai Motor that supply auto parts to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, an automobile factory located in Montgomery. They investigated the work environments and listened to problems that employees experience at work. 

The federal agency is reportedly going to investigate Korean auto companies in Georgia as well, in which Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia is located. 

There are auto parts manufacturers of Hyundai Motor Group such as Hyundai MOBIS and Hyundai Powertech in Georgia, along with other mid-sized Korean companies that supply auto parts to Kia Motor's facility including Mando, Daehan Solution, and Sewon. 

On April 22 (local time), Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office, met with Korean businessmen, explained the purpose of the inspection, and asked for their cooperation. 

Korean companies in the US are monitoring the situation closely. Some said, “The honeymoon with the US is over,” and “The federal government’s inspection is politically driven.” An official working for a large Korean company remarked, “I anticipated that OSHA inspections would be initiated because the Obama administration amended the nation’s labor law last year so that some members of the United Automobile Workers union can gain access to foreign companies as outside experts.” The official added, “Industry analysts are saying that the inspections are politically motivated, since President Obama, who had the support of labor unions in both his White House election campaigns, appears to have the intention of giving a gift to the unions before his departure.” 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Korean Consulate in Atlanta explained, “OSHA inspections target auto companies in three states of the southeast region—Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.” The spokesperson added, “The inspections also involve other foreign companies such as Japanese and German firms. So, it is difficult to say that our country is particularly targeted for inspection.”

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