Ulsan Labor Groups Protest Hyundai Motor Ruling

Ulsan labor groups hold press conference condemning Ministry of Employment and Labor inspection findings (provided by the KCTU Ulsan headquarters) Labor groups in Ulsan are reacting fiercely after the Ministry of Employment and Labor released the results of a special labor inspection into dismissed workers from Isu Enterprise, an in-house subcontractor at Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant. They argue that the decision is contradictory because it acknowledged illegal dispatch while refusing to classify a violent incident during a rally as an unfair labor practice. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Ulsan Regional Headquarters, the Korean Metal Workers' Union, and the Hyundai Motor strikebreaking violence incident fact-finding team held a press conference on the morning of Oct. 20 in front of the Ulsan Dongbu Branch Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Calling the ministry’s announcement a "half-baked result," they demanded a public apology from Hyundai Motor, the principal contractor, and the immediate implementation of direct employment for 29 dismissed workers. The case dates back to September 2024, when Isu Enterprise, which had been responsible for transporting export vehicles at Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant, shut down and all of its workers were dismissed. The dismissed workers held rallies in March and April last year in front of Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant demanding employment succession, and multiple injuries occurred during clashes with the company’s security personnel. The Ulsan Dongbu Branch Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor recently recognized illegal dispatch involving Isu Enterprise workers through the results of its labor inspection and issued a corrective order to Hyundai Motor to directly employ them. At the same time, however, it concluded there were no charges regarding a petition alleging unfair labor practices and closed the case. The ministry’s position was that it was difficult to view Hyundai Motor at the time as holding employer status capable of influencing those workers’ union activities. Labor groups say they cannot accept the basis for that decision. Their argument is that if the ministry recognized illegal dispatch and issued a direct employment order, it effectively acknowledged Hyundai Motor as the real employer, making it inconsistent administration to deny employer status only in relation to the violence case. They are demanding that Hyundai Motor, as the principal contractor, take responsibility for the violence and issue an official apology. They also made clear that, now that the ministry has issued a corrective order for direct employment, Hyundai Motor must carry it out without delay.