Electricity Workers Call Off Strike

Korean Power Plant Industry Union (KPPIU), a unified labor union of five power plants under Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO, called off a 15-hour-long strike at 4:30 p.m. on Monday and returned to work.

As the union hung out a white flag earlier than expected, negative scenarios such as a disruption in power supply or a clash with the police were avoided.

Lee Jun-sang, chairman of KPPIU, called off the strike in front of approximately 3,000 union members who had refused to work and gathered at the public park of Gaeun Mountain in northern Seoul.

He said, “I believe we sufficiently raised awareness of the importance of electric power,” and added, “There should be no more strikes, and we will do our best to settle labor disputes by adjusting our key demands.”

The early withdrawal of the strike is attributed to several factors: worsening public opinion about an unjustifiable strike, signs of some strikers trying to secede, the decision of the National Labor Relations Committee to use compulsory arbitration, the move of the police to arrest union executives, and firm response from the management.

Police announced that it would request arrest warrants and round up 19 executives Monday morning, but it suspended the request after the union called off the strike.

Meanwhile, the five power plants had pledged tough responses including sacking of strikers unless they returned to work by 1:00 p.m. on Monday, but later announced that they would decide disciplinary measures afterwards.

From 5:30 p.m., labor and management of the power plants resumed negotiation at the headquarters of KEPCO on controversial issues such as the reinstatement of laid-off workers, the rotation system, and expanding the scope of labor union members.

The five plants announced as of 1:00 p.m. that only 1,740 of 4,420 workers were absent from work, which is just 39.3 percent of the total.