Korean power firm to sue more strike leaders
Korean power firm to sue more strike leaders
Park Sung-woo, Reuters, Seoul
South Korea's power monopoly said on Tuesday it would ask state prosecutors to take action against more union leaders for staging a two-week-old outlawed stoppage, but unionists stood firm in their demands to scrap privatization.
More than 5,000 unionized workers at state-run Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) walked out on February 25 in protest at state plans to privatise power affiliates, a key policy aim of President Kim Dae-jung's government as the economy picks up and as a presidential election looms.
Unions fear privatization will result in job cuts and higher electricity prices, but the government has said it will not back down on privatization or its claims against strike organizers.
"Five power units of KEPCO will charge 500 unionists for leading the walk out, and some of them have already done so beginning yesterday," a KEPCO official told Reuters.
KEPCO has already accused 250 union heads of leading the walk out, and dismissed 49 of them on Monday. Some 200 unionists are facing the same punishment with a final personnel meeting scheduled on Friday, KEPCO said in a statement.
KEPCO has asked the Seoul District Court to seize union workers' property to make up for losses incurred by the company in hiring part-time workers to fill gaps during the strike. The strike has not affected power generation.
KEPCO is seeking 6.2 billion won ($4.74 million) compensation on estimated losses of 10.5 billion won up to March 9.
Despite the stiffened company threats, unionists stood firm in their demands to scrap privatization, while still seeking a dialogue with companies which broke off talks last week.
"Our demands are all the same as before. But we are still willing to talk to the companies to end the strike as soon as possible," said Cho Jin-wook, a senior union official.
After state-led mediation collapsed last week, the union has held no talks with the companies or the government, both of which say that privatization is not on the negotiation table.
Government plans call for selling five thermal power firms to private operators beginning this year.