The POSCO labor union has set September 9 as the final deadline for this year's wage and collective bargaining negotiations. If the company does not present a proactive proposal, the union plans to initiate a 48-hour partial strike.
The Korean Metal Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions announced on the 27th that it will observe the company's negotiation stance and any additional proposals until September 9, after which it will proceed with its first action, a 48-hour partial strike. The union stated, "We will keep the door open for dialogue until the end, but if the company continues to demand sacrifices from the workforce, we will take the planned action."
The union emphasized that this action is not merely a demand for wage increases but a process to improve safety and welfare issues and to seek proper recognition and compensation for the sacrifices made by workers.
It specifically claimed that the push for direct employment without sufficient communication has heightened concerns about the welfare and working conditions of existing employees. The union also raised issues regarding the capacity and staffing shortages at the Industrial Safety and Health Center. In this year's collective bargaining, the union is demanding the establishment of a 'Self-Safety Special Committee' that includes participation from both labor and management and has real binding power.
The union expressed discontent over the company's public disclosure of its total demands, which it calculated at 1.4 trillion won. The union argued that this figure only highlights the total of wage, welfare, safety, and staffing demands that could be adjusted during negotiations.
The union stated, "Negotiations are not a process of attaching price tags to each other's demands and making them public; rather, they should examine the reasons behind the demands and work towards finding common ground."
However, the union indicated its willingness to engage in further negotiations if the company presents a proactive proposal. It clarified that breaking the 58-year record of no strikes is not the goal, and it will wait to see the company's additional proposals by September 9.
On the 27th, the POSCO union reiterated, "We will observe the company's additional proposals until September 9, and if there is no change, we will proceed with the 48-hour partial strike. If there is still no change afterward, we plan to escalate our actions gradually."
Since June, POSCO and the union have been engaged in negotiations, but they have been unable to narrow differences over wages and bonuses. The union is demanding a 7.1% increase in base salary and a bonus of 600%, while the company has proposed a 1.5% increase in base salary and a bonus of 2.5 million won.
Previously, the union secured legal strike rights following a vote in favor of the strike action with a high approval rate of 92.2%, and the Central Labor Relations Commission's decision to cease mediation on the 18th.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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