Hanwha Ocean subcontract workers begin high-altitude sit-in on roofs and cranes after 218 days of tent sit-in.

After 218 days of tent protest, the roof and crane of the paint factory are raised... Company “respond according to law”

(Geoje = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Young-min = Hanwha Ocean subcontractors began a high-altitude sit-in on the 30th, demanding collective bargaining with the main contractor.

According to the Geoje-Tongyeong-Goseong Shipbuilding and Subcontracting Branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union, six union members, including branch president Kang In-seok, began a sit-in protest at around 12:30 p.m. on the same day by climbing onto the roof of the pre-painting factory and the system scaffold assembly crane at the Hanwha Ocean plant in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do.

It has been 218 days since the subcontractor's branch began a tent protest in February, demanding negotiations with the main contractor, Hanwha Ocean.

The union is requesting collective bargaining from the main office as the revised Trade Union Act, known as the 'Yellow Envelope Act', went into effect on March 10th.

At that time, Hanwha Ocean included the subcontracting branch when announcing its request for negotiation, but excluded the Wellive Branch, which also requested negotiation.

The Wellive Branch is a union made up of subcontractor workers in charge of food service and facility management within Hanwha Ocean.

On May 15, the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Relations Commission ruled that Hanwha Ocean should announce its request for negotiations, including the Wellive branch.

The Central Labor Relations Commission also made the same decision last July, stating that Hanwha Ocean was an 'user' of the Wellive Branch.

Hanwha Ocean objected to this and applied to the court to suspend execution of the decision, and the labor and management are awaiting the decision of the Seoul Administrative Court.

The union said, “If the Ministry of Employment and Labor cannot enforce primary contract negotiations, subcontracted workers will have no choice but to fight to secure and win primary contract negotiations,” and added, “It is deplorable that they have to risk their lives once again for workers’ basic rights.”

He added, “Just as the 2022 strike struggle became the foundation for the revision of the Trade Union Act, I hope that this struggle will also be a breakthrough in realizing the three rights of labor.” He added, “I will risk my life and ascend to the sky, shouting, ‘I want to live properly now.’”

They plan to continue the high-altitude sit-in until collective bargaining with the main office is concluded.

In response to this, a Hanwha Ocean official said, "We regret this clearly unjustified illegal act, and we will respond in accordance with the procedures established by law."

Regarding the subcontract branch's high-altitude sit-in protest, it expressed its intention to stand in solidarity with subcontract workers of progressive political parties in the Gyeongnam region and urged Hanwha Ocean to negotiate.

In a commentary, the Gyeongnam Provincial Party of the Progressive Party said, “Is it an unreasonable request for workers to demand a space to rest like a human being, non-discriminatory treatment, and dialogue with the main contractor?” and “We will stand in solidarity until all subcontracted workers are guaranteed the three labor rights.”

The Gyeongnam branch of the Justice Party also added, "The reason negotiations were not held was because Hanwha Ocean refused," and added, "As the party that proposed the yellow envelope law, we will stand with subcontracted workers until the day the six people who ascended to heaven step on the ground."