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3 December, 2007
Mr. Seung Hwa Suh
CEO Hankook Tire Co., Ltd.
647-15 Yoksam-dong, Kangnam-gu
Seoul, 135-723
South Korea
By Fax: +82-2-2222-1100
Dear Mr. Suh,
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which represents 20 million workers from 118 countries, held its 4th World Congress in Bangkok last week, from 22 to 24 November. Present at the meeting were over 800 trade unionists, from 176 national trade unions in 75 countries, many of which are operating in the chemical and rubber sectors within their countries.
After having heard about the ongoing dispute between the management of your company in Hungary and the local Hankook workers in Dunaujvaros, represented by ICEM Affiliate VDSZ (Federation of Trade Unions of the Chemical, Energy and General Workers in Hungary), the ICEM World Congress unanimously adopted a solidarity statement in response to the ongoing violation of workers’ rights by Hankook Tire Hungary Ltd.
The statement reads: “We protest, on behalf of 20 million workers, against this employer’s behaviour, as it has been shown by Hankook Tire in South Korea and Hungary. It is unacceptable that the employer does not acknowledge an organisation set up by the workers voluntarily and rejects every request for bargaining.
It is furthermore unacceptable that a multinational company keeps hurting the laws of countries and does not accept the rules relating to workers’ rights.
ICEM cannot accept this behaviour and insists on the start of negotiations. Today, social partners all over the world promote bargaining, Hankook should not be an exception. Workers - who increase the value of the company through their work - want to bargain with the management of the company on the working conditions and the collective agreement.
The behaviour by the owners and the leaders of the company against the workers is not acceptable. We support all the workers whose rights have been violated by Hankook Tire.”
The ICEM, who agrees with VDSZ that refusing negotiations from your side is against the content of the Labor Code, therefore strongly insists for your company to enter into meaningful negotiations with the Hungarian Hankook workers, represented by VDSZ.
Pending a fair and swift solution to the problem, we will use our offices to make sure that this trade union violation is known to all, and act, together with our affiliates, towards an end of this violation of workers’ rights.
Manfred Warda
ICEM General Secretary
Cc: VDSZ, Hungary
Mr. Lee Eung Young, 2459 Rácalmás, Hankook tér 1., Hungary
FKCU - Federation of Korean Chemical Workers' Union
KCTF - Korea Chemical & Textile Workers' Federation