GM declines union call for 3-party talks on R&D plan

GM Korea, the Korean unit of General Motors, on Monday refused to meet with its union to narrow their differences over its decision to build a separate research and development (R&D) company, which the workers see as an initial move by the carmaker to scale down its plants in Korea.

In a statement released earlier in the day, the union said it will join the trilateral meeting between GM Korea, worker representatives and the Korea Development Bank (KDB) on Tuesday if the company provides the details of the rescue package for the loss-making carmaker signed in May between its parent company and the KDB, the second-biggest shareholder in GM Korea.

The union’s statement comes after the KDB proposed that the three-party committee discuss GM Korea’s “unilateral” move to establish a separate R&D company by November and push forward the self-rescue measures for the carmaker.

Instead of accepting the idea of holding a three-party meeting that includes the union, GM Korea proposed a bilateral meeting with the KDB to first discuss how they might narrow the differences between them and collaborate more effectively to secure GM Korea’s long-term success.

Yonhap