On the 8th, workers at Homeplus and partnering companies undergoing corporate rehabilitation procedures (court management) launched a Joint Emergency Committee and urged the establishment of a corporate rehabilitation plan to ensure their right to survival. They argued that the corporate rehabilitation plan should not include restructuring and store sales.
The Joint Emergency Committee held a press conference in front of the main hall of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that morning, and said, "MBK Partners (the major shareholder) should take full responsibility for the corporate rehabilitation of Homeplus and prepare a genuine corporate rehabilitation plan to guarantee the survival rights of workers and partnering companies."
The Joint Emergency Committee includes the Mart Industry Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Homeplus branch, as well as more than 10 political parties and labor and civil society organizations. Among the political parties, the Participatory Party, Basic Income Party, Social Democratic Party, Labor Party, Green Party, and Justice Party participated. Additionally, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, Korean Progressive Network, the Korean Federation of Micro Enterprises and Small Businessmen, and the Cargo Union Seoul-Gyeonggi Headquarters also joined.
The Joint Emergency Committee demanded a thorough investigation into the Homeplus situation and the establishment of regulatory legislation to prevent the acquisition of corporations by speculative capital. They requested the National Pension Service and financial authorities to disclose excessive dividends and investment return structures regarding MBK.
Ahn Soo-yong, head of the Homeplus branch of the Mart Union, said, "While preparing the Homeplus rehabilitation plan, there is only discussion of plans regarding creditors, and the actual plans for field members are not being discussed at all," adding, "There must be a plan that allows all 100,000 members to recover together."
Jang Jeong-hoon, head of the Cargo Union Seoul-Gyeonggi Headquarters, said, "Every time store sales and closures continue, we endure the pain of tightening our belts despite decreased revenue from reduced cargo and the anxiety of not knowing when we will be kicked out. Cargo workers have had to leave their workplaces without any compensation or measures when the company, facing difficulties, said they had to go. The asset sales and store closure plans of Homeplus must be stopped."
Choi Dae-young, secretary of the online delivery department of the Mart Union, said, "Contract drivers have taken out loans and scraped together money from here and there to work with Homeplus, investing tens of millions of won in buying cars and painting logos," adding, "The corporate rehabilitation of Homeplus is nothing less than pushing us to death." A contract driver refers to a transportation operator who owns a commercial license plate after obtaining a cargo transportation business license and has signed a management consignment contract.
Kim Byeong-guk, chairman of the Homeplus Store Owners Association, said, "The wish of everyone gathered here is the "normalization of Homeplus," but if there is not a single person's will, it will be impossible." He added, "(Chairman Kim Byeong-joo of MBK) should stop the empty promises of personal fund contributions and insincere rehabilitation plans and show actions for genuine normalization that saves lives."
The Joint Emergency Committee is planning to hold a "National Assembly" on the 1st of next month in front of the D Tower in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, where 3,000 people are expected to gather.