KakaoBank Union Plans Five-Day Strike

The National Chemical Fiber Food Industry Workers Union's Kakao branch has announced plans for a five-day general strike, set to take place from August 31 to September 4. This decision follows prolonged negotiations over wages and performance compensation with management, which failed to reach an agreeable resolution. The union had previously initiated a one-day strike and a work-to-rule campaign on July 31, escalating the situation further due to the lack of common ground.

In addition to the strike notice, the union has expressed its opposition to Kakao's planned spin-off. On August 26, it will hold a rally and a joint bargaining ceremony at Pangyo Station Square in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at 1 p.m. The union's official stance is that even if the company proceeds with the spin-off, it cannot separate itself from responsibility for restructuring, job insecurity, or compensation issues arising from management failure.

The union has taken a proactive approach to address potential changes in the labor environment post-split. They emphasize that the spin-off should not be used as a means to conceal management mistakes and shift responsibility for job insecurity onto workers. KakaoBank management has yet to reach a concrete point of agreement on the union's demands, leaving concerns about potential disruptions to banking operations and the possibility of the strike spreading to other areas within the Kakao group.

With the labor-management gap still unaddressed, the upcoming five-day strike is viewed as a critical turning point in the ongoing dispute.