No ! Violation against French Law, OECD Multinational Enterprises Guideline and Labor and Management Collective Bargaining Agreement !
Valeo, Secure ! Workers Right to Live, Engage in direct negotiation faithfully !
We are the 3rd struggle delegation to France from Korean Metal Workers’ Union against Valeo Group. We came here to make you know and request for your assistance and solidarity for 180 workers abruptly dismissed by unilateral liquidation notice of Valeo Group without any previous discussion with the workers and KMWU Valeo Compressor Korea(VCK) local.
Valeo Group made its decision on the company liquidation of Valeo Compressor Korea as of Oct. 23, 2009 without any previous negotiation which is in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. This liquidation decision is violating severely against the French Labor Law and all appointments agreed between labor and management, and the OECD Guideline regulating multinational enterprises’ social basic responsibility.
The workers of VCK have worked diligently for more than 15 years by day and night shift while the company has grown profitable one recording annual surplus every year. However, Valeo Group has never invested any capital for factory machine equipment improvement and workers, and took out the profit in the name of branch commission. The company disposed unilaterally its factory site violating against agreements between labor and management, and started to infringe the worker’s right.
And without any discussion and notice previously, Valeo Group did unilaterally decide the factory closing and dismissed all workers just at the very same day. Such a tyranny of Valeo Group has deprived 180 more workers’ rights and devastated 500 more livelihoods of their families. This kind of company liquidation decision is a thing like social mass murder in Korea where is unequipped almost with social welfare system. We do never accept this factory closing decision.
Thus we are resisting with the request of securing right to live and Valeo Group’s engaging in negotiation directly with having the responsibility and right on the company liquidation.
We already proceeded two times of overseas delegation struggle to France on December 2009 and January 2010. However, Valeo Group has been shirking its responsibility and disregard our request for direct negotiation with lying repeatedly that it is none of their duty. KMWU Valeo local officers had even a meeting with Valeo Korean local management on April 27. But they confirmed that they have no right and responsibility for decision making on plant closure and securing workers’ right to live. Thus we did come again to France.
However, anti-labor Korean government and Valeo Group are recently intending to arrest struggling VCK workers in the name of business obstruction crime. They accused 9 union local officers and 3 officers were prevented from departure for this 3rd overseas struggle delegation at the airport by Korean Supreme Prosecutors’ command. Now Valeo Group seems preparing for accusing more union local officers and already disposed all machines in the factory.
Korean workers and civil society movement organizations are getting angry about this situation. ChungNam Province Assembly and Chun-An Local Assembly adopted currently their resolution stating that the company liquidation is unfair and sent their statement to Valeo Group in France. Besides, regional ad-hoc committee composed of progressive parties and 18 NGOs are struggling together with VCK workers. KMWU is also supposed to organize its general strike upcoming June to assist and support VCK workers’ struggle against the labor pressure of Lee Myoungbak regime and the vicious Valeo Group.
Neo Liberalism is pushing away workers all over the world to the edge of life.
Now is the time for solidarity and practice than before to keep workers’ right to live.
KMWU is sincerely appealing to all colleagues of European Metalworkers’ Federation.
1. Demand Valeo Group to comply faithfully with law of France which is the symbol of liberty, equality and fratemity and OECD MNE Guideline, and to withdraw the company closing illegally proceeded
2. Visit in solidarity to the delegation continuing every day agitation struggle in front of Valeo Group Headquarter
3. Urge Valeo Group not to shirk its responsibility and to engage faithfully in direct negotiation.
4. Discuss in EMF how to cooperate with supposed June general strike of KMWU.
Your proud solidarity and assist would be greatly helpful for making this struggle of VCK workers success.
Chronology of KMWU VCK local workers struggle
– Oct. 23 2009 : General Stockholders’ Meeting, Determination of the company closing
– Oct. 26 : Announcement of the company liquidation
– Oct. 27 : Notification on termination of employment contract as the date of Nov. 30
– Nov. 1 : Starting all night sit-in of all VCK union workers inside factory
– Nov. 23 27 : KMWU delegation struggle to Japan
– Dec. 8 : Departure for the 1st KMWU delegation struggle to France
– Dec. 16 : Press conference of 3 progressive parties in ChungNam Province denouncing Valeo Group and demanding factory normalization
– Dec. 17 : Company’s accusation against 10 persons of KMWU VCK local chair, staffs and unionists in the name of business obstruction
– Jan. 19 Feb. 1 2010 : Conducting the 2nd KMWU delegation struggle in France
– Jan. 28 : Launching regional ad-hoc committee composed of progressive parties and 18 civil NGOs
– Feb. 24 : FTM-CGT Auto sector staff, Michel visited to Korea(24 to 27, press conference and surveliance visiting French enterprises in Korea)
– Feb. 25 : Press conference of KMWU & Michel of FTM-CGT, and Korea-France Metalworkers Rally in front of Renault Samsung Factory in Pusan
– Mar. 3 : Public announcing co-statement of KMWU-KCTU & FTM-CGT regarding VCK situation
– Mar. 11 : Police investigation on union local staffs accused of business obstruction
– Mar. 25 : Meeting with the chairman of ChungNam Province Assembly
– Mar 26 : Meeting with Mayor and chairman of Chun-An city Assembly, Lodging a complaint against the violation of Valeo Group against OECD Multinational Enterprises Guideline
– Apr. 2 : Adoption of the resolution statement demanding VCK normalization
– Apr. 7 : Question to the Government by a congressman PARK regarding VCK liquidation situation in Korean National Assembly
– Apr. 9 : Rally demanding VCK normalization in front of a subsidiary factory of VCK and Valeo Korea Branch building. Meeting with the deputy governor of ChungNam Province
– Apr. 13 : Sending the resolution statement of Chun-An City Assembly to Valeo Group in France
– Apr. 14 : Sending the resolution statement of ChungNam Province Assembly
– May 6 : Departure for the 3rd KMWU delegation struggle to France
- Current
One man picketing in front of French ambassador, Chun-An City Hall and Chun-An Branch office of Ministry of Labor for the 205th date
Regional ad-hoc committee tent sit-in in front of Chun-An station for the 57th date
Surveillance struggle to Valeo invested companies for the 171th date
VCK local unionists’ sit-in inside the factory for the 202th date
Valeo Compressor Korea’s violation against OECD MNE guideline
1) Violation against the opening of information
● Valeo Compressor Korea has declined the disclosure of the information since it was started to govern company ownership in 2004. Especially, with the ex-president’s saying even that he didn’t know, they ignore the employees’ rights to know and violated the guideline by refusing the request of the disclosure of the following information
The financial and operating results of the company
Major share ownership and voting rights
Members of the board and key executives, and their remuneration
Material issues regarding employees and other stakeholders
Governance structures and policies.
2) Violation of the basic labor rights
● On 21 March 2008, the Union Local requested to the company that collective bargaining be held and the management to participate in the meeting from 30 April in accordance with collective bargaining agreement and applicable law, but the company did not participate until the 11th round for several months. After regional labor relation committee’s correction order, the company started participating from 11 June on the 12th round and the Chief representative of the management participated at first on 17th round.
● Valeo Compressor Koea disturbed unfairly to activity of the Union Local, and denied the Union Local suing for the obstruction of business as the local held gathering after working hours fairly in 2008. Even the company enforced ‘no strike declaration’ to the Union local.
● Even though selecting workers to be suspended is to be done by a labor-management agreement according to collective bargaining agreement, the company conducted that unilaterally.
● In 2009, the company seceded Metal Industry Employers’ Association during collective bargaining.
3) Unilateral enforcement of layoffs
● When the company abruptly and suddenly announced on Oct. 26, 2009 that it would close the factory in Korea, effective that very same day, it did notify the liquidation to the union local chair just by phone and send a letter at the very same day without any previous information or discussion.
● When the company abruptly notified on Sept. 9, 2009 that it would close KC line in which 50 workers almost as two third of manual workers were working, the company and ex-president said only that the closing decision was just taken place by stockholders’ meeting and they had not any idea of the reason on the line closing.
Korean Metal Workers’ Union
5th Fl. Daeyoung Bldg.
139 Youngdeungpo-2-ga, Youngdeungpo-ku
Seoul, Korea 150-982
Tel : ++ 82 2 2670 9552
Fax : ++ 82 2 714 0662
Email : inter metal.nodong.org