Homeplus Co. General Labor Union said on the 3rd it will file a petition urging emergency operating fund support targeting President Lee Jae-myung, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and Korea Development Bank Governor Park Sang-jin.
The union said, "Homeplus Co., which is undergoing rehabilitation proceedings, is suffering a severe management crisis due to a shortage of operating funds. This goes beyond a simple question of a corporation's survival and could lead to a crisis of mass bankruptcies among partner companies and the livelihoods of countless employees, causing a serious downturn in local economies."
It continued, "Payment for goods essential to store operations is being delayed, and even utility bills are in arrears, threatening normal business activities themselves," and added, "A situation in which January wages and even February wages go unpaid exacerbates the pain of Homeplus Co. employees and could lead to weaker consumer sentiment and a local economic slowdown."
The union argued, "The government must step in actively to immediately pay unpaid wages and enable payments to partner companies that are struggling, to prevent a chain management crisis from occurring."
It added, "To resolve the shortage of operating funds, Korea Development Bank should swiftly provide emergency operating funds," emphasizing, "This will serve as a primer for the successful completion of the rehabilitation process for corporations."
Lastly, the union said, "The issue of unpaid January wages must be resolved immediately, and support measures for partner companies suffering from delayed payments for goods must be prepared to prevent a chain management crisis," adding, "If operating funds are provided, the general union and employees will actively cooperate in the rehabilitation process."