[비즈한국] The POSCO Subcontractor Chapter of the Pohang Branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU) is mired in internal strife triggered by the Chapter Head's assault on an official. As the KMWU Disciplinary Committee has expelled the Branch Head, the conflict is escalating to the extreme, with the Branch Head filing legal action in response.
According to labor circles on the 2nd, Kim Seong-il, head of the Daemyeong Branch of the KMWU POSCO Subcontractor Chapter, filed an injunction with the Daegu District Court's Pohang Branch on the 24th of last month to suspend the effect of the KMWU Disciplinary Committee's expulsion decision. At the same time, he filed a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of the expulsion. This comes after the KMWU Central Disciplinary Committee held a re-hearing on the 16th of last month and finalized the expulsion—the highest level of disciplinary action—originally decided by the Pohang Branch Steering Committee last September.
The incident was triggered on July 11, 2024, when Chapter Head Lee Woo-man assaulted Branch Head Kim during a workshop of the POSCO Subcontractor Chapter Steering Committee. Although the matter went as far as a police complaint, it was withdrawn following a settlement; however, it is known that the conflict remained latent. Tensions were reignited during a delegate meeting in March of last year, leading to requests for disciplinary action from both sides.
In its disciplinary resolution, the KMWU Disciplinary Committee cited 'separating/relocating the office without the Chapter's approval' and 'non-payment of union dues and separate management' as reasons for Branch Head Kim's expulsion. The Disciplinary Committee judged, “While it is difficult to say that the disciplinary target is solely responsible for the origin of the incident, separating the office within the order of an industrial union is not merely a spatial issue, but a significant part of the chapter's struggle strategy and operational direction,” adding, “It must be decided at least through the chapter steering committee.”
Regarding the non-payment of union dues, it explained, “Even if the structure makes it difficult to spend union dues without Chapter approval, it was confirmed that [the branch] received and operated union dues separately without the Chapter's deliberation process by negotiating with the company side.” It added, “Even if received primarily at the chapter or branch level for practical convenience and due to legal issues, it must be reported to the union at the chapter level.” It further emphasized, “As an industrial union, the KMWU requires stronger discipline and order than a company-level union.” It is understood that the POSCO Subcontractor Chapter sent a text message to Daemyeong Branch members on the 23rd of last month stating, “Because union dues have not been paid to the Chapter, all members are in a status where their rights are restricted,” and requested, “Please pay your union dues so that negotiations and struggles for member rights can continue.”
On the other hand, Branch Head Kim is protesting, arguing that the essence of the incident is the Chapter Head's assault. According to the complaint, Branch Head Kim claims that Chapter Head Lee assaulted him and used insulting language between July 11-12, 2024. Kim's side argued, “I felt extreme pain working in the same space as the perpetrator, so I separated the office with the consent of the members,” and added, “It was an unavoidable measure to escape an abnormal situation.”
Regarding the non-payment of union dues, he claimed that the Chapter Head had suspended the payment of operating expenses only to the Daemyeong Branch due to personal conflict, and that to prevent the shrinking of branch activities, he had attempted to pay union dues directly to the higher-level KMWU without going through the Chapter. Kim's side claimed, “The union dues that were sent were returned by the KMWU citing the practice of paying through the Chapter, leading to the non-payment status; it was not a neglect of the duty to pay union dues.”
Some in the labor industry believe that the long-standing conflict between the KMWU and the POSCO Subcontractor Chapter, as well as factional fighting within the chapter, have exploded. The POSCO Subcontractor Chapter previously belonged to the KMWU Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch before changing its affiliation to the Pohang Branch in October 2023 due to geographical reasons. Even the KMWU Disciplinary Committee acknowledged in its resolution, “Conflicts arising from old relationships and differences in positions between branches exist, and there has been a lack of proper guidance and management by the branch as a higher-level organization.” A labor official cautiously stated, “This expulsion incident can be seen as the result of structural conflicts within the union coming to a head, beyond mere individual misconduct.”