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POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo has recently started to “take care of security.” It is putting ‘safety’ first in all business activities this year. However, the evaluation and reaction of civil society and labor organizations are cold.
Even around the POSCO Group, there is a cynical atmosphere. This is because, despite the safety measures that have already been announced on several occasions, there are cases in which workers lose their lives every year in various accidents.
Consequently, not only opposition to the re-election of President Choi, but also the argument that the National Pension should actively exercise the rights of shareholders and appoint directors of public interest is gaining traction in civil society and the world of work. The National Pension Plan is one of POSCO’s largest shareholders.
President Choi “Activate the right to stop working”
According to POSCO and others, Chairman Choi recently announced through the group’s management meeting that “we will make security a top priority in all business activities this year.” In addition, the right of the employee to stop working in the workplace was also actively implemented. The right to stop working is the right of employees to refuse when they receive instructions that are not properly secured in the workplace, or when they have difficulty working due to physical or emotional factors.
President Choi reportedly said, “If the production is insufficient to take safety measures, we should not take responsibility for it, but reward it.” President Choi has emphasized “safety” in the New Year this year and in his visits to Pohang and Gwangyang Steelworks.
POSCO also introduced ‘6 key security management measures’ this year. In addition to enforcing the right to stop working, he created a security newspaper, announced the expansion of the intelligent security infrastructure, and strengthened support for partner security management. At the end of last year, it said it would invest 1 trillion won for three years from this year on special security measures. He added that he has already improved the working environment by investing KRW 1.3157 billion in replacement of old facilities for three years starting in 2018.
However, despite these measures, POSCO’s work-related accidents have not stopped in the last three years. According to data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, a total of 18 workers died in workplace accidents at POSCO’s workplace during this period. Of these workers, five were the prime contractor and 13 were outsourced.
Endless industrial accidents … 18 workers died during three years in office
In addition, during this period, POSCO received special supervision from the Ministry of Labor on six occasions, but workplace accidents did not improve at all. In particular, on July 13 last year, after a worker inspecting the Gwangyang steelworks facilities crashed and died, the Ministry of Labor supervised planning for a week from the 21st. However, two days After the supervision ended, a subcontractor for the support center in the same factory died of cardiac arrest.
The POSCO workplace accident was not yesterday and today. When looking at the number of major industrial accidents and the average accident rate published by the Ministry of Employment and Labor each year, POSCO has more frequent industrial accidents and more employees than workplaces in the same industry.
Lee Ji-woo, executive of the Participatory Solidarity Economic and Financial Center, noted: “In 2015, the average accident rate was up to 15 times higher than in the same industry, and the average death rate in 2018 increased to 52 times “. He continued: “The Ministry of Labor publishes statistics only for major industrial accident sites each year, and POSCO is making a name for itself almost every two years.”
Along with this, controversy persists over local air pollution at POSCO. In recent years, there have even been reports that hazardous substances dumped into POSCO’s production process negatively affect the health of workers and citizens.
Last year, a special supervision by the Ministry of Labor for the Gwangyang steel mill revealed 598 violations of the law, and an order was also issued to suspend the use of 27 pressure vessels that failed the autonomous safety inspection. In addition, in February last year, the Ministry of Labor and Environment of the Civil Organization 119 and the POSCO section of the metallurgical union requested a collective work accident asking eight POSCO workers to recognize ‘occupational cancer’.
Civil society launches anti-reelection campaign … “The national pension must exercise the rights of shareholders”
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| ▲ On the afternoon of December 23 last year, a press conference called for a full occupational cancer investigation and health and safety diagnosis that took place in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. | |
| Ⓒ Joint coverage photo |
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According to the union, the workers suffered from cancers such as lung cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease and serum lymphoma, and they have in common that they worked for 30 to 40 years on the Pohang Works coke process and the cold mill. It was argued that steel mill workers have been exposed to carcinogens such as crystalline free bacteria and asbestos for a long time.
However, POSCO’s position is that it cannot find a causal relationship to “occupational cancer.” According to the Occupational Health and Safety Law, the work environment has been measured twice a year, and exposure to hazardous substances has also been significantly lower than legal standards, he explained.
In response to the controversy surrounding POSCO, it is argued that civil society should appoint a director of public interest to improve its governance structure. For this, the national pension must actively exercise the rights of the shareholders.
Lawyer Kim Jong-bo (Committee of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a democratic society advocacy group) said: “Many workers are dying at POSCO” and “President Choi has already been accused of violating the Health and Safety Law Occupational”. “” POSCO has also violated the Trade Unions Act and the Air Environment Conservation Act due to labor oppression and environmental pollution, “he said.” Apart from the prosecution’s investigation, POSCO must actively exercise the rights of workers. shareholders in the national pension system, which is an important POSCO shareholder ”. At the end of last year, the National Pension System owns an 11.43% stake in POSCO.
It said: “President Choi and the eight internal and external directors failed to fulfill their duties of fidelity and election of directors because they did not propose measures and prevented the recurrence of serious problems at POSCO.” right to vote against the directors’ succession agenda “.
Prior to this, civil society labor organizations such as Minbyun, Participation Solidarity, Public Transport Union National Pension Branch, and KCTU also held separate conferences on the 27th of last month, saying: “We need to change POSCO, which has been branded as a company risky. ”“ I am opposed to the appointment of a director who is not interested in this. ”
