The Korean Metal Workers’ Union, the umbrella union representing workers of eight South Korean shipbuilders, is staging a series of strikes this month in support of Hyundai Heavy Industries’ workers who have been involved in industrial action since late April.
Particularly, the shipyard workers were incensed when the government, at the shipbuilders’ request abolished the quota system in mid-April to allow in foreign labour for four shipbuilding areas – welding, painting, electric engineering, and plant engineering.
The workers are decrying what they see as their employers’ exploitation, even as shipbuilders are now enjoying a super cycle of high volume orders, aided by the recovery in the container shipping sector and growing demand for LNG.
In a press conference on 2 May, the HHI workers said, “The problem of job shortages in the shipbuilding industry can only be resolved when living standards and safety are secured.”
South Korea’s Big Three shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, have said that they are short of 7,000 workers in total.
However, the striking workers said that the labour shortage was due to the shipbuilders retrenching their manpower when orders declined following the oil shock in late 2014.
The Korean Metal Workers’ Union said, “Despite our protests, the shipbuilders retrenched many workers. Young workers need to be employed for the industry’s recovery and this can only be done when the shipbuilders can guarantee stable wages and workplace safety.”
According to industry sources, about 5,000 workers can be added to the companies as a result of the relaxed regulations but this number is just 20% or so of what is actually needed.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
