Samsung leaders to face union-busting charges

Lee Sang-hoon, chairman of Samsung Electronics, was one of 16 present and former executives indicted Thursday for interfering with labor union activities at the company’s after-sales services affiliate.

Prosecutors charged the group, all connected with Samsung Electronics or Samsung Electronics Services, but did not ask the court to order them detained. The charges came after a five-month investigation over violations of labor laws.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office also indicted seven heads of Samsung subcontractors; three officials from the Korea Employers Federation were also charged with cooperating with Samsung in the scheme. Some 32 people and entities have been indicted in the case, including a senior police officer and a former labor ministry official.

They are accused of trying to prevent employees from setting up or engaging in labor union activities since 2013. They pressured employees to quit the labor union, threatened to cut wages of employees linked to unions and pushed subcontractors out of business if they were considered union-friendly, according to the prosecution’s announcement, which called the actions “an organized crime that mobilized the whole company.”

The prosecutors said they are continuing to investigate similar allegations involving other Samsung affiliates, including Samsung Everland.

Yonhap