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15 February, 2001It was a long, difficult but determined struggle for the trade union at Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries.
KOREA, REP: The Hyundai Heavy Industries Workers' Union reports that it has successfully concluded a collective bargaining agreement with the HHI management and is satisfied with the deal, saying it offers better working conditions for its members. The union represents 20,000 workers out of a total workforce of 27,000 employed by HHI at its Ulsan shipyard.
A member of the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers' Federation, the union started collective bargaining in July 2000 but ended negotiations in September when management refused to continue bargaining in good faith and attempted to break the union. A strike vote was organised, but the company prevented it by rounding up hundreds of scabs who became violent with union members. Finally, in December, contract negotiations were reopened, due largely to numerous protest letters from metal unions worldwide calling on HHI management to bargain in good faith.
Saying that the situation between HHI management and the unionised workforce has now normalised, the union is greatly appreciative of the deep interest and concern shown by metalworkers worldwide to workers' rights at HHI, and "we will return the same concern to other metalworkers around the world as you did for us."
A member of the IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers' Federation, the union started collective bargaining in July 2000 but ended negotiations in September when management refused to continue bargaining in good faith and attempted to break the union. A strike vote was organised, but the company prevented it by rounding up hundreds of scabs who became violent with union members. Finally, in December, contract negotiations were reopened, due largely to numerous protest letters from metal unions worldwide calling on HHI management to bargain in good faith.
Saying that the situation between HHI management and the unionised workforce has now normalised, the union is greatly appreciative of the deep interest and concern shown by metalworkers worldwide to workers' rights at HHI, and "we will return the same concern to other metalworkers around the world as you did for us."