Workers at Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), which applies the 'Gwangju-type job creation' model, the first labor-management cooperation model in the country, have decided to enter a partial strike.
According to the GGM branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union, the partial strike involving union members will begin from 12:20 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. on the 14th. GGM, which employs 668 workers, has 228 union members, of which about 70, including those in the quality control department, will participate in the partial strike. Although there will be no separate strike ceremony, participating union members plan to hold a brief demonstration inside the factory for 15 minutes starting from noon.
Both the union and management explained that the vacancies left by union members will be filled by non-union staff, including general office workers, so there will be no production disruptions. A representative from the Metal Workers' Union noted, "We plan to continue the strike for the time being, but if management shows a change in attitude during negotiations, the situation can change at any time."
The GGM workers, who began their full-fledged activities after joining the Metal Workers' Union in May of last year, decided to strike due to the breakdown of wage and collective bargaining negotiations with management. They demanded a basic salary increase of 159,200 won, which is 7% of their monthly salary; however, management insists that it cannot provide additional increases as it has already applied this year's early inflation rate of 3.6% set by the labor-management cooperation council, leading to ongoing conflict.