The Seoul court has partially accepted Samsung Electronics' request for an injunction to prohibit an illegal general strike by the labor union. This decision comes just three days before the union's planned strike. The court's ruling is expected to hinder the strike by requiring staffing levels to remain at normal levels.
In response, the largest union, the Samsung Electronics branch of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KCTU), stated that it respects the court's decision and plans to proceed with its scheduled strike activities on May 21.
On May 18, the Suwon District Court's Civil Division 31, led by Judge Shin Woo-jung, partially granted Samsung's injunction request against two unions, including the KCTU and the Samsung Electronics Union, filed on April 16.
The court ruled that the unions must maintain staffing levels, operating hours, and scale of operations during the strike at the same levels as normal weekdays or weekends. It also ordered that Samsung's security and maintenance operations must continue without disruption during the strike.
Additionally, the court prohibited the KCTU and its chairman, Choi Seung-ho, from occupying any facilities or installing locks that would impede workers' access.
This ruling largely aligns with Samsung's demands and is expected to legally restrict the union's ability to strike.
To ensure compliance, the court stated that for each day of violation, the unions would be required to pay 100 million won, while Choi Seung-ho and acting chairman Woo Ha-gyeong would each owe 10 million won to Samsung.
In a statement, the KCTU's legal representative, Law Firm Majung, acknowledged the necessity of security measures and expressed respect for the court's decision, affirming plans to proceed with the strike on May 21.
However, they noted that the dispute was primarily over the specifics of staffing levels. Law Firm Majung explained that while Samsung claimed a requirement of 7,000 workers on weekdays, the union argued for fewer workers on weekends or holidays, a position the court supported, indicating that the actual number should be less than 7,000.
The union contends that staffing levels on weekends or holidays will be lower than 7,000, asserting that this will not impede their strike activities.
The union also requested that Samsung provide specific staffing needs for each department to enable union members to organize effectively.
In response, Samsung Electronics criticized the KCTU for misrepresenting the court's ruling, stating that the court clearly defined "normal" as referring to both normal weekdays and weekends.
Samsung emphasized that the ruling means staffing levels must match those of normal weekdays during the strike period, and similarly for weekends and holidays, to maintain security and safety operations.
The company added that it would provide separate guidance to employees in departments requiring normal attendance during the strike period.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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