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SOUTH KOREA: Kolon Strike Enters Third Week |
2004-7-15
More than 1,200 workers at polyester yarn producer Kolon Industries have begun their third week of strike action in protest at the company’s restructuring plans. Managers at the plant in Gumi, 261 km south east of Seoul, want to downsize the factory and shift their focus to value-added yarn products and electronic materials. They say the textile business has lost its competitive edge in the face of rising costs and increased competition from China. The plant accounts for 45 per cent of Kolon Industries’ total sales, and the worker walkout has almost brought the factory''s operations to a halt. Unions claim that converting the facility into one that produces electronic materials will result in the loss of 205 jobs. They are also campaigning for a 6 per cent wage hike and improvements in the working conditions of temporary employees.
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