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Latest news about the E.Land struggle/strike..

Today's bourgeois (conservative) JoongAng Ilbo published following article:

E.Land strike grinds on, no end in sight

Although there is nothing new about labor-management struggles in Korea, the ongoing strife at retail giant E.Land is a fresh chapter.
Unlike previous disputes involving wage complaints or work rule disputes, this incident was ignited by a new labor law giving greater rights to non-regular employees.

As a result civic groups say the strike carries moral force and is a test case for forcing companies to respect the new law.

 
When E.Land Group, an operator of the discount chains Homever and New Core, failed to renew the contracts of roughly 750 irregular workers before the new law went into effect, they were off the hook legally, but their union was enraged.
The group’s Homever and New Core affiliates let irregular workers ― mostly cashiers ― go because the new law that went into effect July 1 requires companies to change the status of all irregular workers who have worked for more than two years to regular workers.

The law was designed to protect irregular workers, who have an uncertain status and lower wages than regular workers despite working similar hours.
The union claims that those who were fired thought it was unfair and they occupied various store locations beginning June 30. Two flagship stores are still occupied, and police and management have been trying to lure the union members out of the two buildings.

 
On Sunday, union members at New Core shaved their heads in protest. “These are my coworkers and they are like my family,” said Kim In-sik, a manager of New Core’s Ilsan store, in explaining why he supports the dismissed contract workers.
Yesterday, E.Land union members continued their sit-in at the World Cup branch of Homever in northwest Seoul and at the Gangnam branch of New Core. The stores have been shut down for 18 days and 10 days, respectively.
Talks at the Seoul Labor Office between labor and management yesterday got nowhere, and there is no end to the dispute in sight.

 
Yesterday was the third try by the two sides to reach a deal. Labor and management met first on July 10, but the meeting lasted just three hours. On Saturday, the parties negotiated through the night, breaking up at 6 a.m. after 11 hours with no agreement other than a decision to conduct talks over Homever and New Core separately.

New Core management suggested that if all irregular workers were given regular jobs, they would cut wages by 2 to 3 percent this year in exchange for an end to the sit-in. The union rejected the offer.

Homever said yesterday that it would convert non-regular workers who have been working for more than one year to an employment status that offers wages based on performance incentives. Workers who have been with the company for more than 18 months would be guaranteed a regular job with fixed wages.

 
The union, however, demanded that all workers with two years tenure or more be converted to regular employees with fixed wages regardless of performance and that workers with three months tenure or more be guaranteed a job.

Unlike many union demonstrations, the public seems largely sympathetic to the E.Land employees. Many civic groups announced a boycott of E.Land products Monday, saying that the company abused its authority in firing irregular workers and shirking its social responsibility.

Fifty-seven groups, including the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Korea Women’s Associations United, and the Korean YMCA held a press conference Monday in front of the Homever World Cup branch to launch the boycott.

“Companies have been taking shortcuts by firing contract workers to cut down on costs and avoid responsibility and E.Land’s mass dismissal is the representative case of abuse,” said Kim Min-young, secre tary general of People’s Solidarity. “Civic groups nationwide have been pleading with the government and E.Land to resolve this in a logical manner, and yet the company is only suing the demonstrating workers and asking for compensation while the government is sitting back and watching.”

On Monday, the National Human Rights Commission investigated after receiving reports that union members were being locked up in the store by the management. They will issue a report this week.

 
As the demonstration goes on, however, the union is losing some support from otherwise sympathetic entrepreneurs who have independent shops in New Core. In Korea, large retailers rent out much of their space to smaller owners who operate retail stalls inside the building.

 
“At first we felt very sorry for the irregular workers because they receive such low wages, but [because of the protests] customers are scared to come to the shops now,” said Shin Hyun-jai, head of the New Core shop owners’ emergency committee. “But these problems highlight the flaws of the irregular worker law, showing that companies can abuse it instead of using to it to protect employees.”
According to the union’s Web site, though, resolve is strong. “My heart aches but hopefully we can fight toward victory,” said union member Jeong Young-ki on the site.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2878180

Hong Gil-dong's (숲속홍길동) latest video ducumentaries about the struggle you can see here (7.16) and here (7.17).

Related article:

☞ Labour strife escalates as new labour law comes into effect (interlocals.net)