Samsung C&T has launched collective bargaining procedures by posting a notice of the construction subcontractor union's bargaining demand. However, it is expected to take considerable time before Samsung C&T enters into actual negotiations with the subcontractor union.
According to the Korean Construction Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions on the 1st, Samsung C&T's construction division posted a notice at its sites on the 29th of last month acknowledging the union's collective bargaining demand. In April, the construction union was recognized by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission as having "prime contractor employer status" allowing it to negotiate with Samsung C&T. The bargaining notice is a preliminary step for selecting a representative bargaining union among multiple unions.
The construction union viewed Samsung C&T's bargaining notice positively, saying it could open the door to "prime contractor bargaining." Of the 86 prime contractors the construction union has demanded negotiations with, only four, including Samsung C&T, have agreed to bargain. Most major construction firms recognized as having prime contractor employer status have refused to comply with bargaining demands.
However, it is expected to take considerable time before Samsung C&T actually reaches negotiations with the construction union. Samsung C&T is reportedly preparing to challenge the Labor Relations Commission's ruling on prime contractor employer status by filing for review with the National Labor Relations Commission. In its bargaining notice, Samsung C&T also stated that "future negotiations will be limited to areas in which the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission's decision recognized substantive control." A Samsung C&T official said, "Whether to seek another ruling from the National Labor Relations Commission has not yet been finalized."
