▲ Rep. Kim Jong-hoon, independent lawmaker and the Lotte Mart Trade Union affiliated to the Korean Federation of Service Workers' Unions on December 5 hold a joint press briefing at a press room of the National Assembly, calling on the Lotte Mart to stop suppression on the democratic union and to comply with the decision of the National Labor Relations Commission.(Lotte Mart Trade Union)
The Lotte Mart Trade Union accused the management of disciplining the targeted union officials belong to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) or giving them the lowest performance appraisal ratings. Workers who are assessed as the lowest 'C" rating for three consecutive performance appraisals may be dismissed.
In June this year the Lotte Mart Trade Union demanded the management to negotiate for the single bargaining channel. As the Lotte Mart did not respond to the demand, union leader Kim Young-joo in September sent to the employees text messages that "The management did not accept union's demand for collective bargaining and violated the law. Accordingly the union will report the management to the Ministry of Employment and Labor."
The Lotte Mart suspended union leader Kim Young-joo from the work for a month for disseminating false information, and three union officials got the lowest 'C' grade ratings which were given only to 12 employees out of the 10,000 total labor force.
reported by Ku Tae-woo
translated by Kim Sung-jin