The government and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) have floated a plan for KEPCO KPS to directly hire some 600 subcontracted workers, setting off signs of union-versus-union conflict. A union under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) that represents KEPCO KPS's regular employees pushed back, saying it was a unilateral conclusion reached mid-discussion. Some also worry the "IIAC incident," when conflict flared over converting nonregular workers to regular status under Moon Jae-in, could be replayed.
KEPCO KPS is a power-generation equipment public corporation and a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation. After subcontracted worker Kim Chung-hyeon died while working at the Taean Thermal Power Plant in Jun. last year, the government set up and ran two labor-government consultative bodies. One was the "power generation employment and safety consultative body," which included the KCTU's countermeasure committee on the death of worker Kim Chung-hyeon. The other was the "just transition for the power generation industry consultative body," which included the National Electric Power Industry Labor Union Federation (Power Federation) under the FKTU.
On the 10th, the power generation employment and safety consultative body held a press conference at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, and announced a comprehensive plan to directly hire KEPCO KPS subcontracted workers and to strengthen job security for workers affected by coal-fired power plant closures.
The power generation employment and safety consultative body decided to make all workers under routine maintenance subcontracts for power generation facilities with KEPCO KPS eligible for direct employment. Based on contracts KEPCO KPS signed last year, there are 593 subcontracted workers. The consultative body set as eligible for direct hiring those who joined before Jun. 2 last year, the date of Kim's death. Detailed matters for workers hired after that date will be determined by a tripartite labor-management-expert consultative body composed of KEPCO KPS, subcontracted workers, and experts.
But the just transition for the power generation industry consultative body pushed back. In a statement the same day, the Power Federation said, "Operation of the power generation employment and safety consultative body ended in late January, but the just transition for the power generation industry consultative body is scheduled to operate through the end of this month," adding, "The government neutralized the very existence of the just transition for the power generation industry consultative body by holding a press conference—attended even by a government member—despite knowing there were differences between the two consultative bodies over forming a tripartite consultative body."
The Power Federation argued the government is also infringing on bargaining rights at power generation public corporations. The Power Federation said, "Chairs of the unions at Western Power, Central Power, and East-West Power participate in the just transition for the power generation industry consultative body, but the power generation employment and safety consultative body is trying to reach agreements on reassignment of duties and work patterns for employees of power generation public corporations," adding, "This is an act by the government to trample on the bargaining rights of the representative union and an anti-labor act that denies representative union bargaining."
At the same time, labor members affiliated with the Power Federation resigned en masse from the just transition for the power generation industry consultative body and decided to suspend its activities. They also decided to hold a rally in Seoul on the 11th in front of the presidential office, with all employees of KEPCO KPS and the power generation public corporations attending.