The union at Naver Z, which operates the Metaverse platform Zepeto, launched its first strike.
The Naver branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union (KCTFU) said it would hold a partial strike from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 9th with Naver Z union members participating.
The Naver branch applied for labor dispute mediation with the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission after management called for a wage freeze in this year's wage talks.
The union said that during two rounds of mediation, the Commissioner urged management to work to avoid a dispute, but because management ultimately offered no relief, a decision to suspend mediation was made on July 24. In a subsequent strike authorization vote, turnout was 88.6% with 98% in favor, giving the Naver Z union the right to strike.
The Naver Z union held pickets on July 14 and Aug. 5. On Aug. 20, after securing the right to strike, it held a rally ahead of declaring integrated bargaining.
The union said responsibility for driving Naver Z members to strike lies with Naver Z management, which it said shifted the burden of reckless spinoffs and management failures onto workers.
Oh Se-yun, head of the Naver union branch, said, "Even at the time of the suspension of mediation and the strike authorization vote, we said 'a strike will be a last resort' and gave the company ample time to set things right," and added, "But even as members endured amid anxiety and confusion, the company ultimately did not respond to calls for a responsible explanation or talks. The strike is not something we chose; the company pushed us to the brink of a last resort."
The Naver union said that if management does not show a forward-leaning attitude after the partial strike that day, it will ratchet up collective action. If management does not present an acceptable proposal after the strike that day, the union said it would escalate in stages, moving to an all-day strike on the 23rd and up to a maximum five-day strike.