It has been reported that long hours of two-shift work have taken place at the factory of Samyang Foods, which is globally popular for producing "Buldak Bokkeummyeon." Samyang Foods stated that this is a temporary work arrangement prior to the normal operation of the production facilities at its Miryang Plant 2.
According to the distribution and food industry on the 3rd, production workers at Samyang Foods' Miryang Plant 2, where Buldak Bokkeummyeon is primarily produced, are working two shifts, five days a week. Excluding meal and break times, the pure working hours are 10 hours from Monday to Thursday and 9 hours and 30 minutes on Friday. The total working hours per week amount to 49 hours and 30 minutes.
The working arrangement is two shifts. The day shift works from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the night shift works from 8 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. the following day. Workers on the night shift essentially work five consecutive overnight shifts. In this situation, it is reported that Samyang Foods also has 2 to 3 instances of mandatory Saturday overtime (special extended work). If Saturday work is added, the total working hours will inevitably violate the current legal regulation of a 52-hour workweek.
Earlier, on the 25th of last month, President Lee Jae-myung visited the SPC Samlip factory where a fatal industrial accident occurred and noted, "I question whether it is possible to work four nights a week from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for a full 12 hours," adding, "Changing from 12-hour shifts to 8-hour three shifts may be more efficient. Let's find a practical and specific way to reduce industrial accident fatalities." Just two days later, SPC Group officially announced that it would limit night shift hours to within 8 hours to eliminate "long night work."
Samyang Foods stated that it receives consent forms for overtime work from production workers each month regarding Saturday special extended work. Special extended work can normally be applied for when there is a significant increase in workload. However, it cannot be carried out without the individual's consent, and permission from the Ministry of Employment and Labor is required.
Currently, Samyang Foods has invested 90 billion won in improving the facilities at its Wonju factory, 240 billion won in its Miryang Plant 1, and 183.8 billion won in its Miryang Plant 2 to meet overseas demand. Additionally, a production facility has also been commenced in Jiaxing, China for local production.
A representative of Samyang Foods stated, "Since the second half of 2016, export volumes have surged, and we are temporarily implementing Saturday special extended work," adding, "We are working on stabilizing the production facilities at the Miryang Plant 2, and if the operations of all facilities normalize by the end of this year, the special extended work will also decrease." He continued, "We haven't only relied on special extended work without facility investment," and said, "We will continue to fulfill transparent management and social responsibility."