[비즈한국] The Samsung Biologics207940 employee personal data breach has spiraled into a labor-management conflict, with the repercussions growing uncontrollably. While the company apologized for the leak, it also stated that it would consider legal action against those who accessed and distributed the information without authorization. In response, the labor union filed a complaint against a company executive with the police.
According to the Samsung Biologics Sangsaeng (Win-Win) Labor Union on the 11th, a criminal complaint was filed with the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station on the 10th against an executive surnamed Song for obstruction of business, trespassing, and unfair labor practices. The union claims that on the 6th, while working on transferring shared folders on the company intranet, they discovered that employee personal information was set to "public." When they reported this to the company, Executive Song allegedly trespassed into the union office to seize office PCs, thereby obstructing the union's work. Park Jae-sung, chairman of the Samsung Biologics Sangsaeng Labor Union, said, "Since seven people from the company entered the office, the number of individuals subject to the complaint may increase during the investigation."
The leaked information reportedly included sensitive HR policy materials, such as employee resident registration numbers, educational backgrounds, annual salaries, performance reviews, and home addresses. The union pointed out that these documents contained evidence of alleged intervention by Samsung Group’s Business Support Task Force (TF) in Samsung Biologics' personnel evaluations, as well as analysis suggesting the true purpose of the 2016 "New HR System" was to "reduce labor costs." A union official claimed, "The Samsung Group Business Support TF directed that low performance ratings be given aggressively to underperformers, and the Samsung Biologics HR team leader expressed concern that Samsung Biologics could become a majority union and face pressure for wage hikes." The official added, "Although the new HR system was announced as a 'job-oriented personnel system with a horizontal organizational culture that transcends seniority,' it was actually designed to abolish the seniority-based pay system and consolidate job ranks to cut labor costs."
The union also explained that there was HR management data tracking the union's leadership. A union official stated, "There is a possibility of direct or indirect disadvantages in evaluations or attempts at appeasement through an 'NJ (Union) List,' which can be seen as an unfair labor practice." The union further asserted that they identified circumstances where employees who visited the company’s internal psychological counseling center, the Life Coaching Center, were penalized in their HR evaluations. A union official claimed, "The counseling records of employees who visited the center were found inside a 'disciplinary folder.' We can view the center, which was created within the company to support employee mental health, as a structure used to keep records for the purpose of forcing resignations."
Following the confirmation of the personal data leak, Samsung Biologics has stated it will focus its full efforts on preventing further damage and implementing measures to prevent recurrence. John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, addressed employees on the 10th in a "Notice Regarding Unauthorized Access to Employee Personal Data and Protective Measures," stating, "Some individuals are claiming that the company is arbitrarily trying to penalize specific employees while sharing internal data externally, but this is not true." He continued, "We are separately reviewing the act of sharing internal management and HR information externally, as it may significantly harm the company's interests and the rights of employees, and could potentially violate the Personal Information Protection Act and other relevant laws." He added, "The company operates its systems in compliance with legal procedures and is committed to protecting trade secrets and employee personal information. We sincerely apologize once again for the occurrence of this unauthorized access to personal information."