hankyoreh

Graphic by Jo Jeong-eun

“We won’t eat bread made with workers’ blood.”

A boycott of companies affiliated with SPC Group, Korea’s leading food company, has been gaining momentum after a 23-year-old worker died on the floor of a bread factory affiliated with SPC on Saturday. The disastrous event seems to have catalyzed citizens’ anger over the company’s continuous violations of labor rights, including illegal dispatches and unfair labor practices, despite it being a large company that produces and sells food products familiar to consumers.

A list of SPC affiliate brands has been spreading on online communities and social media like Twitter and Facebook. An image that was retweeted more than 16,000 times as of Tuesday features the logos of bakery and dessert brands, such as Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts, Shany, and Samlip, as well as restaurants and coffee brands, including Shake Shack and Caffe Pascucci. Terms such as “SPC Boycott” and “No-buy movement” are also trending on Twitter.

A consensus that large companies have crossed a line in trivializing workers’ safety and lives has spurred the public to turn their anger into action. Since the incident, the fact that a worker in her 20s died during an overnight shift, as well as the company’s inhumane response to it, have been under fire.

The company, SPL, resumed operation of the factory immediately after the accident because the Ministry of Employment and Labor had only ordered the suspension of work on the machine involved in the mishap. Only when the ministry recommended additional work be suspended the next day in consideration of the trauma of workers who witnessed the accident did management stop operations on the production floor.

“I decided to boycott because I was horrified by the company’s decision to keep the factory running right after a worker lost her life during her shift,” said Yang Tae-hyeon, 30, an office worker.

Another office worker, Kim Yoo-jin, 31, said, “It is regrettable that the boycott, which is intended for workers’ rights, may paradoxically cause damage to workers and franchises. However, I hope SPC realizes the gravity of the situation and starts providing a proper working environment.”

A boycott of SPC began in May with the intention to express solidarity with the hunger strike of Lim Jong-lin, president of the Paris Baguette branch of the Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union, a part of the umbrella Korea Confederation of Trade Unions. Lim had demanded an apology for unfair labor practices, such as coaxing withdrawal from labor unions, and an implementation of social agreements. Criticisms of such labor issues at SPC affiliates have mounted, expanding into the present boycott.

The issue of labor rights of Paris Baguette bakers was first raised in 2017, but remains a controversy now, five years later. At the time, bakers working at Paris Baguette franchises were employed not by Paris Croissant, the franchise headquarters, but by partner companies. The Ministry of Labor judged that the practice corresponded to illegal dispatch, since Paris Croissant was directing and supervising the bakers, and made the corrective order that Paris Croissant directly hire 5,000 bakers.

SPC insisted on hiring bakers from its subsidiaries, finally reaching a social agreement to adjust the wage of its bakers to match the level of wages at headquarters, while continuing to hire bakers from its subsidiary, PB Partners. Bakers, however, are currently saying that Paris Croissant has not kept its promise and are urging management to implement the agreement.

Unfair labor practices that suppress labor unions attached to the umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU) are also observed throughout SPC affiliates.

Upon the establishment of a branch chapter of the KCTU, management takes action to create another union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), resulting in the decrease of union numbers in the KCTU and the establishment of the FKTU local as the representative union for bargaining.

Investigations by the National Labor Relations Commission and the Ministry of Labor have confirmed that Paris Baguette and BR Korea have withdrawn members from the KCTU or have discriminated against members of the KCTU in promotions. Furthermore, Paris Baguette suspended a union official for three months for appearing on a radio show and stating, “Work extensions are not recognized, while health leaves are not properly utilized.” The Seoul Administrative Court ruled last month that the suspension was unfair.

While public anger has been giving way to actions, SPC is in a hurry to block the spread. Organizations, such as “Paris Baguette Workers’ Cheer Up Joint Action,” have been holding a relay one-person protest in front of a Paris Baguette store since August. In response, SPC is applying for a court injunction banning rallies.

“The boycott started not with civil society organizations, but with citizens’ voluntary suggestions,” said Moon Byeong-ho, an organizer of the joint action.

“SPC should not be asking citizens to stop protesting against the company’s illegal actions but should start solving its problems.”

By Lee Woo-yun, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]