Ssangyong Resumes Talks With Striking Workers

Ssangyong Motor yesterday resumed negotiations with its union at 9:10 a.m. Both sides agreed to deal with four or five pending issues, including the number of workers to be laid off and their treatment.

Management was represented by its court receivership manager Park Yeong-tae. Ssangyong’s human resources director Ryu Jae-wan and management-labor cooperation team chief Go Jae-yong also participated.

The union`s representatives included the manager of the Ssangyong branch of the Korea Metal Workers’ Union Han Sang-gyun, his deputy Kim Seon-yeong and policy director Choi Min-gi, and the former head of the company`s Gwangju afterservice center Park Gwang-yeol.

Management and labor began talking after establishing two containers in vacant lots between the carmaker’s administrative building and the second painting plant occupied by the union. On the sidelines of the main negotiations between Park and Han, working-level officials also held talks.

After three hours of discussion, they recessed for lunch and restarted at 4 p.m.

They worked on a proposal suggested by the management and given positive consideration by the union. Under the proposal, the management suggested that 60 percent of laid-off workers should accept their fate and the remaining 40 percent will be retained but under condition of taking rotational temporary leave.

The two parties also talked about treatment of laid-off workers, transfer certain workers to operations, grant others unpaid leave, and rehire a portion of those laid off.

Pyeongtaek Mayor Song Myung-ho and three lawmakers -- the ruling Grand National Party`s Won Yoo-chul, the main opposition Democratic Party`s Jung Jang-seon, and the progressive Democratic Labor Party’s Kwon Young-ghil -- announced a statement welcoming the talks in front of the plant`s main gate at 11:30 a.m.

The statement said, “If labor and management make concessions and reach an agreement, we’ll persuade the government and creditors to help Ssangyong normalize its business.”