Samsung Biologics and its labor union are in conflict over the revision of the 'Information Protection Regulation.'
According to the industry on the 28th, the Samsung Biologics Win-Win Labor Union submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Central Regional Employment and Labor Office the day before. The union stated that the company unilaterally changed internal regulations, a subordinate document to the employment rules, violating the Labor Standards Act.
The union claimed in the complaint that 'the company unilaterally revised the internal information protection regulations and guidelines within the employment rules without the consent of a majority of workers, establishing punitive provisions such as 'dismissal' and a 'three strikes policy (automatic dismissal after three violations),' which is a clear violation of the Labor Standards Act.'
The union also raised concerns about procedural illegality, stating, 'The internal information protection regulations have not received worker consent even once since their enactment in 2015.' It also claimed that a non-disclosure agreement not included in the employment rules was incorporated, and disadvantages were imposed on those who did not complete it by restricting access to the system.
The union demanded the withdrawal of the non-disclosure agreement and the information protection regulations from the company, but stated that it submitted the complaint as the company avoided taking proactive measures. The union expressed its position that it would not hesitate to report to national agencies to hold the company accountable.
Samsung Biologics stated on this day, 'We received notification from the union about the Labor Ministry complaint and the request for collective bargaining, and we are currently reviewing it internally.' They did not provide a detailed position on the union's claims.
There are observations that this complaint could advance the timing of next year's wage and collective negotiations (collective bargaining) compared to the usual year. The union has demanded that the company start next year's wage and collective agreements earlier than planned. It is also known that the agenda for the collective bargaining will include ways for the union to participate in employee discipline and executive evaluations.