As high-altitude protests continue in the shipbuilding industry, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and its labor union have reached a second tentative agreement regarding this year's wage and collective bargaining negotiations, leading the union leader to end his protest from a crane. In contrast, Hanwha Ocean is still facing ongoing disagreements over bonus calculation criteria and the contract employment system for retirees.
On October 23, industry sources reported that the Korean Metal Workers' Union and the Shipbuilding Industry Union Coalition held a press conference themed 'Why Did Shipyard Workers Go Up High?' to explain the negotiation status and demands from both companies. The union emphasized the need for fair distribution of profits in line with the shipbuilding industry's boom and highlighted the necessity for new hiring amid poor working conditions.
During the 26th main negotiations held that morning, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the union prepared a second tentative agreement. Kim Dong-ha, the union leader who began his protest on October 18, descended after six days. The first tentative agreement, reached on October 2, was rejected in a vote by union members.
The new agreement includes a basic salary increase of 120,000 won (including a step increase of 55,000 won), a one-time bonus of 11.5 million won plus 200%, and the provision of 300,000 welfare points. Compared to the first tentative agreement, the one-time bonus has increased by 500,000 won, and the step increase has risen by 5,000 won.
Heo Jung-hyeok, deputy head of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries union, stressed that the working conditions are poor and that the repeated deaths of workers are unacceptable. He stated, "The five serious accidents that occurred at Hyundai Heavy Industries are evidence that the company's safety system has completely collapsed," adding, "Despite the government's strong intervention, including special inspections by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, accidents continue, which we view as a failure of management responsibility and the outsourcing of risks."
Meanwhile, the Hanwha Ocean union has presented key demands including wage increases, transparency in bonus calculation criteria, and the expansion of contract employment for retirees. They argue that the basis for the bonuses, which were first paid in February, was not transparent, necessitating improvements to allow for predictable payment amounts. Yoo Young-nam, head of external cooperation at the Hanwha Ocean union, noted, "While our wage demands are insufficient, we are currently focusing on system improvements."
Disagreements also remain regarding the contract employment system at Hanwha Ocean. The union demands that the contract employment period, currently set at one year for most retirees who wish to continue working, be extended to two years. They explained that the current system creates job insecurity as the company selects candidates starting in the second year.
Yang Byeong-hyo, secretary of the Hanwha Ocean union, stated, "Having endured wage freezes and reduced benefits during the downturn, we must see appropriate wages and improvements to unreasonable systems during this boom period," vowing to continue their struggle until their demands are met.
Since the first negotiations on June 4, Hanwha Ocean has conducted 29 rounds of negotiations but has yet to reach an agreement. Kim Min-cheol, head of the Hanwha Ocean union, has been conducting a high-altitude protest since October 8.
The press conference was attended by Lee Tae-hyun, deputy chairman of the Metal Workers' Union, Kim Beom-jin, director of policy, Yoo Young-nam, head of external cooperation at Hanwha Ocean, Yang Byeong-hyo, secretary of the Hanwha Ocean union, and Heo Jung-hyeok, deputy head of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries union.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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