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KBS workers go on strike

May 29, 2014

Two labor unions of top broadcaster KBS began a full-scale strike early Thursday after the KBS board delayed a vote on ousting the company president, raising fears over a continued disruption of its broadcasting service. Labeling the labor action an illegal strike, the company vowed to deal sternly with workers participating in the walkout. (Yonhap)

By Lee Hyo-sik

Thousands of unionized KBS workers began an all-out strike Thursday after the firm’s board delayed a vote on whether to dismiss company CEO Gil Hwan-young.

The walkout is widely expected to force the state-run broadcaster to shorten or cancel news and entertainment programs, which will hurt its viewer ratings and advertising revenue.

The 11-member board of directors held a meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday to discuss a dismissal motion submitted by four directors who were recommended to the posts by opposition parties. The rest of the directors were picked by President Park Geun-hye and the ruling Saenuri Party.

The opposition party-recommended directors said Gil must step down, arguing that the board should vote on the motion at Wednesday’s meeting.

However, ruling party-affiliated members said the CEO should be given a chance to defend himself before board members, insisting the vote should be postponed.

The debate continued into the night, but the members failed to reach a conclusion on how to deal with the dismissal motion. They only agreed to meet again on June 5.

The postponement immediately provoked the KBS unions to push ahead with the planned strike at 5 a.m. Thursday.

One of two KBS labor unions, consisting of 1,200 reporters and other members of the newsroom staff, has been on a partial strike since May 19, while the other union whose members are mostly office workers and technicians decided Tuesday to join the strike if the KBS board did not dismiss Gil at Wednesday’s meeting. The union membership is estimated at 2,500.

Hundreds of reporters, anchors and producers have boycotted work demanding Gil’s immediate resignation, claiming he is a government proxy. He has been accused of having exerted undue influence on the newsroom to produce programs favorable to President Park.

However, he has refused to resign, calling on employees to return to work. Gil claimed that he has never influenced the state-run broadcaster’s selection of news stories and personnel appointments.