Hyundai Steel and unions at four subsidiaries for both the parent company and subcontractors signed a collective agreement. Since the implementation of the yellow envelop bill (Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act amendment), this is the first time that the parent and subcontractor unions concluded a collective agreement through bargaining.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 10th that a signing ceremony for the collective agreement was held at Hyundai Steel's Dangjin plant with the parent company Hyundai Steel and unions at four subsidiaries—Hyundai ITC, Hyundai IEC, Hyundai IMC, and Hyundai ISC—all present.
According to the ministry, Hyundai Steel proceeded with separate negotiations for each bargaining unit after the labor commission decided to split the bargaining units between the four subsidiary unions and the in-house partner company unions. Among these, parent–subcontractor talks with the four subsidiary unions were held four times, starting with a kickoff meeting on the 20th of last month.
The talks were conducted in a format in which Hyundai Steel and the management of the subsidiaries participated together to discuss industrial safety agenda items for which the Central Labor Relations Commission recognized Hyundai Steel's status as employer.
Hyundai Steel and the subsidiary labor–management sides reached a final agreement focused on continuously improving the industrial safety and health management system and establishing mid- to long-term improvement plans to raise industrial safety and health standards.
Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor said, "This collective agreement is the first case where the amended Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act's aim of dialogue and coexistence between parent companies and subcontractors has been realized in the field," adding, "To facilitate such dialogue, the ministry will provide maximum support and make every effort to help parent–subcontractor bargaining take root on the ground."