hankyoreh

A banner put up by the Homeplus labor union to protest the government’s proposed labor reforms. The banner reads

With the various parties putting up witty, eye-catching banners before the parliamentary elections on Apr. 13, two banners by labor unions that criticize South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s controversial labor reforms are grabbing the attention of Internet users.

The banners, which were shared on social media and online communities like Today’s Humor, on Feb. 2, were hung up by the Homeplus labor union and the Samsung Electronics Service branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, which is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).

On Jan. 22, when the South Korean government announced the “dual guidelines” - which allow companies to terminate poor-performing employees and make it easier for them to change workplace rules - the Homeplus labor union hung up banners in front of the 48 Homeplus outlets around the country that said, “The Park administration’s so-called labor reform makes it easier for companies to fire your sons and daughters.”

“We designed and hung up these banners because we wanted to tell the truth behind the government slogans that talk about its effort to create more good jobs,” Kim Guk-hyeon, chief of public relations for the Homeplus labor union, said during a telephone interview with the Hankyoreh on Feb. 2.

“We put up this message because we want to bring attention to the fact that the government’s so-called labor reforms are a bad move that will not only effect the current generation but will also steal hope from the future generation,” Kim said. “We wanted to convince parents who are going to the supermarket to shop that we have to stop these so-called labor reforms on behalf of their sons and daughters.”

“Even now, working conditions in the retail industry are so bad that you can lose your job just by saying the wrong thing. There’s a strong sense of anger and panic among workers about the changes to the labor market that the government is unilaterally promoting,” Kim added.

Netizens have also been paying attention to banners that were hung up under the name of the Samsung Electronics Service branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union.

A post was added to online community Today’s Humor called “Living for Today: A Banner by the Samsung Labor Union” that shows a picture of a banner that says, “Firing under-performing workers! Punitive termination targeting union leaders! In Hell Joseon, Samsung takes the lead.”

Hell Joseon is a satirical term often used online that suggests that South Korea is a hopeless, nearly hellish place for young people because of the difficulty in finding jobs or affordable places to live.

“The Park administration’s so-called labor reform makes it easier for companies to fire your sons and daughters.” (provided by the website Today’s Humor)

On the left side of the banner is a picture of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, with a speech bubble next to it saying, “Samsung will be the first to fire low-performing workers under the new regulations!”

“On Jan. 29, we started putting up banners at Samsung service centers in 10 cities around the country with a union presence to bring attention to the fact that, since the government’s announcement of the dual guidelines, Samsung has been taking the lead in adopting this easier way to fire workers,” said An Min-ji, a member of the education and publicity committee for the Samsung Electronics Service branch of the union.

An also elaborated on the phrase, “In Hell Joseon, Samsung takes the lead.”

“In our lives, the meaning of the phrase ‘Hell Joseon’ really hits home. The dual guidelines that the government has announced are really stifling people at jobs where they’ve been working for decades,” she said. “I hope that the people who see the banner will think about what it says and will get connected and support our position.”

“Immediately after a meeting at which the Ministry of Employment and Labor collected opinions about changing administrative guidelines to allow the firing of poor-performing workers, subcontractors for Samsung Electronics Service have been taking obvious steps to adopt this new approach to firing workers,” the Samsung Electronics Service union branch said during a press conference held on Feb. 1.

“What the chaebol are hoping to get out of firing poor-performing workers is to benefit capitalists through making employment more flexible and increasing control over performance. We’re determined to reverse the dual guidelines that ease regulations for termination and allow companies to change workplace rules without the consent of their workers, and we’re determined to stop all the ongoing efforts of companies to adopt the relaxed rules for termination in the workplace,” a representative of the union branch said.

Netizens who had viewed the poster left a number of comments about it. “It looks like progressive views are gaining ground around the whole country. That’s a really good sign,” one wrote.

“I guess Samsung is in the lead in that other hell known as Hell Joseon, too,” another said.

A third commenter wrote, “I wonder if those parents who vote for the conservatives no matter how awful they are have any idea that Park Geun-hye’s so-called labor reform will make it easier for their sons and daughters to be fired.”

By Park Soo-jin, staff reporter

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