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12 December, 2000Negotiations for a collective agreement for the Ulsan shipyard workers have reopened.
KOREA, REP: The IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers' Federation reports that largely due to strong international trade union support for the Hyundai Heavy Industry Workers' Union in their current struggle with HHI management, contract negotiations can now be reopened.
The dispute involves 20,000 trade union members out of a total workforce of 27,000 employed by HHI at its Ulsan shipyard. The union started collective bargaining in July 2000 but ended negotiations in September when management refused to continue bargaining in good faith. The company then attempted to break the union by contacting all employees individually and trying to persuade them to accept a new working agreement by offering to increase their bonus payments by 200 per cent and give them a $900 compensation bonus. When the union organised a strike ballot in support of their right of union representation and collective bargaining, HHI management sent hundreds of scabs who roughed up trade union members and tried to prevent the vote.
The HHI Workers' Union says that because of the numerous protest letters from metal unions worldwide calling on HHI to bargain in good faith with the union, the negotiations could now be reopened. This support has greatly encouraged the union and workers, who believe that without international trade union backing the company would just continue to abuse workers' rights.
The dispute involves 20,000 trade union members out of a total workforce of 27,000 employed by HHI at its Ulsan shipyard. The union started collective bargaining in July 2000 but ended negotiations in September when management refused to continue bargaining in good faith. The company then attempted to break the union by contacting all employees individually and trying to persuade them to accept a new working agreement by offering to increase their bonus payments by 200 per cent and give them a $900 compensation bonus. When the union organised a strike ballot in support of their right of union representation and collective bargaining, HHI management sent hundreds of scabs who roughed up trade union members and tried to prevent the vote.
The HHI Workers' Union says that because of the numerous protest letters from metal unions worldwide calling on HHI to bargain in good faith with the union, the negotiations could now be reopened. This support has greatly encouraged the union and workers, who believe that without international trade union backing the company would just continue to abuse workers' rights.