After the labor-management agreement was reached, the 97-day high-altitude protest by Hyungsoo Kim, a representative of the subcontracted workers of Hanwha Ocean, came to an end, and he finally returned to the ground from the 30-meter-high communication tower. At the same time, Hanwha Ocean and its labor and management decided to mutually withdraw all ongoing labor-management lawsuits.
Recently, the Geoje Tongyeong Goseong Shipbuilding Subcontractors’ Branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (a subcontractor enterprise union, hereinafter referred to as the Union) held a press conference in front of the Hanwha Group headquarters building in Seoul, South Korea, to announce the “lifting of the high-altitude protest.” Hyungsoo Kim, the Union’s President, signed a labor-management agreement on a 30-meter-high communication tower and returned to the ground during the press conference.
On the same day, a tentative agreement between Hanwha Ocean Subcontracting and the union was voted on and signed by union members. This was 97 days after the March 15 start of the high-altitude protests.
The union said at a press conference: “Expanding employment for subcontract workers, raising wages, and eliminating discrimination are the paths that the Korean shipbuilding industry should take. Together with 100,000 shipbuilding subcontract workers, we will fight even more strongly to fundamentally change our society.”
Earlier, labor and management of Hanwha Ocean’s subcontracting companies had reached a preliminary agreement on wages and collective bargaining in 2024. The two sides also reached agreement on specific terms, including the focus of the negotiations, including increasing bonuses by 50% and eradicating the concealment of work-related accidents.
In addition, Hanwha Ocean and the labor union decided to mutually withdraw all ongoing labor-management litigation cases.
The management said that both parties agree that establishing a cooperative labor-management relationship before wages and collective bargaining is a necessary condition for achieving sustainable growth of the company and improving employee rights. Therefore, Hanwha Ocean is preparing to withdraw the 47 billion won damages lawsuit filed against the union, which is related to the 51-day dock occupation and other strikes in June 2022 (during the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering period).
Hanwha Ocean stated, “To achieve cooperative and symbiotic development between labor and management, the company is prioritizing the overall interest and preparing to withdraw the 47 billion won damage compensation lawsuit. Under current laws, if operational losses caused by strikes are left unaddressed, the management may face legal risks such as dereliction of duty. Therefore, the company is explaining to board members, including independent directors, that labor-management reconciliation measures like withdrawing the lawsuit will strengthen the company’s competitiveness in the long run.”
Under the premise that the labor and management of Hanwha Ocean’s subcontracting companies reached a salary negotiation agreement, ended the high-altitude protests, and withdrew related lawsuits such as 47 billion won in damages, whether Hanwha Ocean’s labor-management relations will see a turnaround has attracted much attention.