The labor union of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) urged the management on Feb. 12 to immediately stop its bid to acquire Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and start talking with the union. It also said labor workers would stage a struggle opposing the acquisition if the management does not accept the demand.
At a press conference held on the same day, the union said, "On the media reports that HHI submitted a letter of intent to take over DSME on Jan. 30, workers were confused with shock and betrayal. At present, there are numerous pending issues of employment instability, including the 35,000 workers who lost jobs owing to restructuring over the past four years and the operational problem of Gunsan shipyard."
"In particular, the day was just one day before the union members vote for the completion of the collective wage negotiation in 2018. The acquisition of DSME was behind the background of the company, which had been demanding a return of 20 percent of the basic pay for seven months, offered a basic pay raise after it rejected the first tentative agreement."
The union argued that the merger will eventually call for restructuring as HHI and DSME are duplicated in such fields as the construction of commercial vessels, marine plants and special ships.
