hankyoreh

Aug. 19. (Photo by Ryu Woo-jong)

By Song Chae Kyung-hwa

The Democratic Party (DP) plans to push for a second hearing and parliamentary audit on the Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction situation if no solution to the conflict is found by the time of the regular National Assembly session.

At a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Friday, DP Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu said, “What [HHIC] Chairman Cho Nam-ho showed at the HHIC hearing yesterday was not management problems, but the very essence of conglomerate company greed and irresponsibility.”

Sohn stressed that a second hearing and parliamentary audit were needed.

“Mr. Cho may have thought that everything would be over if he held out for a few hours,” Sohn said.

Sohn added, “I’d like to warn Mr. Cho that yesterday was by no means the end. It was just the beginning.”

Sohn went on to say that he would take the opportunity to prepare for the arrangement of clear legal conditions for layoffs.

DP Supreme Council member Chung Dong-young said that HHIC failed to give a persuasive answer with regard to allegations about offshore tax evasion that were presented at the first hearing. Chung said, “This needs to be brought to light through a parliamentary audit.”

Chung added that the DP and five other opposition parties would be joining forces to push strongly for a second hearing and parliamentary audit.

DP Lawmaker Hong Young-pyo said, “Because the Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction situation is at root a labor-management issue, the most desirable resolution would be one reached through labor-management dialogue.”

Hong added that an agreement was reached with the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) to have the National Assembly play a mediating role for a resolution through labor-management dialogue by the end of the month.

“If it is not resolved by the time of the regular session, then we should have a second hearing and parliamentary audit during the regular session,” Hong said.

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