Companies hold workers responsible for strike losses
In January 2003, Bae Dal-ho, a 47-year-old worker for Doosan Heavy Industries, committed suicide by immolation. The note he left behind read: "Property and salary have been seized provisionally and the labor unions are liquidated…I haven't received a salary in over six months, and this month will be the same." Mr. Bae's despair was due to Doosan's demand for compensation from workers for financial loss incurred in the case of protests or strikes. Just before Mr. Bae's suicide, Doosan Heavy Industries had demanded 6.5 billion won (6.5 million US dollars) of compensation from the workers' union. Following his death, however, the government as well as management and labor at Doosan ) reached an agreement to halt demands of compensation from workers. Workers at other companies still face demands for compensation. (correct?) Last year, companies demanded nearly 45 billion won of compensation from workers for their union-related activities. This figure was seven times the 6.7 billion won demanded in 2004 and four times the 11.5 billion won demanded in 2003.Out of the compensation demanded, 87.7 percent (39.5 billion won) was from contract workers, who often have less rights to begin with than regular full-time workers. (correct?) Of companies who largely hire workers on contract basis only, (correct?) Hyundai Hysco demanded 7.2 billion won from its workers, Kiryung Electronics 2.5 billion won, Lakeside Country Club 500 million won and Iksan Country Club 400 million won. A Korean Confederation of Trade Unions official, Kim Dong-u, said, "The recent labor-management disputes have concerned non-regular workers." Contract workers caught up in the issue face adversity. After Iksan Country Club seized her house, a caddy there no longer answers her parents' phone calls, as they have been trying to stop her involvement in labor activities. A laid-off contract worker for Kiryung withdrew all his savings, worrying his company would try to seize his assets. Though his monthly wage is about 640,000 won, the company has said, "The unionists caused enormous losses by occupying the factory and holding rallies. Our measures are legal." Many worry that tragedy will continue to occur. After Mr. Bae's suicide, Kim Ju-ik, a trade union leader of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction and Lee Hae-nam, a labor activist of Saewon Tech, both committed suicide in October 2003. Jang Seok-dae, a lawyer for the Federation of Korean Metal Workers Trade Unions, warned, "The companies demand compensation to oppress labor activities, so non-regular workers may again protest through suicide." The Ministry of Labor said it would reform the system three years ago, but so far has not taken any practical measures, except for placing a living wage-based cap on the amount of salary able to be seized. Gang Mun-dae, a lawyer with Chamto Law Office who provides legal services for workers, urged the government to adopt measures so that workers "aren't victimized unfairly by legal procedures."
