The Naver labor union bundled wage and collective bargaining negotiations that had been conducted by each affiliate into one and demanded that Naver headquarters take part in the talks directly.
Joint Statement, the Naver branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union (KCTFU), held a "2026 integrated bargaining declaration ceremony" on the 20th at Naver's second headquarters, 1784, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with about 300 union members attending. The union said it would send an official letter to headquarters right after the event formally requesting integrated bargaining.
The union cited Naver Z as a representative case in which recent wage talks broke down. Naver Z reached a tentative agreement with its parent company, Snow, but the negotiations fell apart when the company ultimately stuck to a wage freeze policy. After the National Labor Relations Commission halted mediation twice, union members secured the right to strike with a turnout of 88.6% and an approval rate of 98%.
The union said that although 270 Naver Z members spent a total of 2,365,200 hours over a year operating the Zepeto service, management did not hold town hall meetings or present a clear business direction. It also pointed to Naver's board deciding on the 4th to invest 130 billion won in Cream's paid-in capital increase as evidence that final decision-making authority over affiliate investment and management lies with headquarters.
It also identified inefficiencies arising from separate negotiations by affiliates as a problem. Over the past year, about 150 bargaining sessions were held across 16 entities, requiring more than 1,000 hours, but the claim is that it is hard to make substantive decisions with only affiliate management. During this process, negotiations have been prolonged and gaps in treatment between affiliates have widened, the union said.
The union presented five key demands: integrated management procedures, improvements to the work environment, establishment of safety and health systems, expanded benefits, and a unified labor-management relationship. It also included detailed items such as greater flexibility over work hours and location, commuting support, systems to prevent workplace harassment, and stronger support for housing and education expenses.