Labor questions GM’s HR decision

After a brief compromise, unionized laborers of GM Korea said they oppose the company’s decision to relocate an executive previously in charge of laying off workers at its Gunsan factory that shut down in May to its headquarters.

GM Korea has named Lee Dong-woo, senior vice president who headed overall operations of the Gunsan factory, as the head of the Bupyeong manufacturing site. The unionized workers claimed that Lee had pressured workers to retire voluntarily by telling them that they would be fired otherwise. 

They have requested GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem to reconsider the decision. They also oppose the separation of the manufacturing and R&D units of GM Korea.

The South Korean branch of the US carmaker said the separation would boost the efficiency and capacity of workers and management in R&D. The labor, however, lashed out at GM’s plan, saying the company was laying the groundwork to pull out of Korea by establishing a separate R&D body.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)