Following the protracted wage and collective agreement negotiations between Hanwha Ocean and the main contractor's union, collective bargaining between the management and the subcontractor's union is also entering the beginning phase seven months after the implementation of the Yellow Envelope Act, drawing attention from the local community to the two negotiations.
According to Gyeongnam labor circles on the 7th, the Hanwha Ocean Branch of the National Metal Workers' Union (hereinafter referred to as the union), which consists of Hanwha Ocean and main contractor workers, entered into the 27th collective wage agreement negotiation at 2 p.m.
The management submitted a third proposal to the union during the negotiations on this day, but it was confirmed that the gap between the two sides' positions was not narrowed.
Details of the third proposal have not been accurately confirmed.
Starting with a meeting on June 4th, they negotiated a total of 26 collective wage negotiations until the day before, but were unable to reach an agreement.
The union is continuing its strike trend, including stopping the Goliath crane at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant last month.
The union previously demanded an increase in basic salary of 149,600 won, payment of 900% bonus, extension of retirement age, and improvement of the performance bonus payment system.
The company presented a second proposal that included a 100,000 won increase in basic salary, a lump-sum payment of 6.5 million won, welfare points worth 1 million won every year, an increase in congratulatory and condolence expenses, and the establishment and operation of a task force (TF) to improve the performance-based pay system.
A Hanwha Ocean official said, “We are working to narrow down our differences through intensive daily negotiations.”
Along with collective wage negotiations, Hanwha Ocean will hold its first collective bargaining with the Geoje Tongyeong Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontracting Branch of the National Metal Workers' Union and the Wellive Branch of the National Metal Workers' Union at 2 p.m. on the 8th at 2 p.m.
It has been about seven months since the union of Hanwha Ocean's subcontracted workers requested collective bargaining from Hanwha Ocean, the main contractor, following the implementation of the yellow envelope law last March.
The first collective bargaining was held when Hanwha Ocean's application for a suspension of execution filed in court against the ruling of the National Labor Relations Commission that Wellive workers should be included in collective bargaining was dismissed on the 1st.
Meanwhile, six union members, including Kang In-seok, president of the Geoje Tongyeong Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontracting Branch of the Metal Workers' Union, entered a high-altitude sit-in protest at Hanwha Ocean's Geoje plant and will continue the sit-in protest until collective bargaining is concluded.
There are also concerns in the local community about the prolongation of the conflict that surfaced through strikes and sit-ins over the two negotiations.
Geoje Mayor Byun Gwang-yong issued a statement on the 6th, saying, "If the sit-in protest continues for a long period of time, not only will concerns about the health and safety of workers increase, but it may also place a burden on the stability of production sites and the local shipbuilding industry as a whole."
He continued, "Now we need to find a point of contact based on mutual understanding and engage in practical dialogue to resolve the conflict," and added, "We hope that the company will engage in dialogue with a more forward-looking attitude so that the conflict can be resolved as soon as possible, and that workers will also make active efforts to resolve problems through dialogue."
