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End occupation of ship in DSME dry dock, court tells workers

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) workers were ordered by a court to end their occupation of the company’s dry dock.

On Friday, the Changwon District Court approved a request for an injunction filed by DSME, which requested workers on strike to stop occupying a ship in dry dock at its Okpo shipyard, on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang.

Since June 2, 150 workers contracted to work for DSME, and under the Korea Metal Workers Union, have been on strike. They are demanding a 30 percent wage increase. The Korea Metal Workers Union is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the more radical of Korea’s two major trade groups.

Yoo Choi-ahn, vice chief of the union on strike, welded a steel cage-like structure to the floor of the occupied oil tanker on June 22. He locked himself in the cage, bringing construction to a halt. Six other workers have stationed themselves elsewhere in the structure.

The court said the unionized workers will have to pay 3 million won ($2,270) per day to DSME if they don’t end the occupation of the ship and dry dock.

Regarding the court decision, the union said it plans to appeal and will continue the strike until DSME listens to its demands.

The Korea Enterprises Federation released a statement on Sunday saying the workers should stop their illegal strike and quickly return to work. At a meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the government will help the union with its negotiations if the workers return to work, but said the strike will be dealt according to the law if they continue to occupy facilities.

Some 570 workers part of another DSME labor union, but not on strike, will temporarily stop working on July 18 and 19. The workers are contracted to work at night and have to stop working as construction is impossible due to the strike.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily

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