Builder Pulls Plug on Sit-In Strikers

The Pohang construction worker strike at POSCO headquarters was aggravated after POSCO cut off electricity to the building.

POSCO cut off the electric supply to the building on Tuesday afternoon, and the air conditioning inside the building stopped. If there is no progress in the current situation, POSCO threatens to cut off the water supply as well.

A POSCO official said, “Under the current situation, in which our business operation has come to a complete halt due to illegal occupation of the building, we do not have the slightest intention to go into negotiations with the trade union. The right order would be for them to give up the sit-in first and normalize their work.”

There has been progress in the negotiations between the management and the labor, but each of them is sticking to their stance in terms of the dispersion of the strike.

While the Pohang Specialty Constructors Association, the employer, demands the labor union to, “First withdraw from the POSCO headquarters before the negotiations,” the union insists on getting, “Confirmation on major agenda, such as paid Saturday leaves before leaving the building.”

Around 7,000 police, not knowing what steps to take, are enclosing the building, continuing the standoff.

Except for the elevators, there is only a two-meter-wide emergency exit stairway in the POSCO headquarters, so it is not easy for the police to penetrate into the building. The union already has blocked up the stairway with chairs and metal pipes.

An alternative would be for the police to send in commandos from the rooftop using a helicopter, but the plan is also not viable due to the large number of strikers.

A police officer said, “More and more people are giving up the strike, and due to the interior of the building, damages for both sides could be huge should we penetrate into the building with force, so we have to be careful in dealing with the situation.” Meanwhile, around 500 union members broke up from the sit-in and came out of the building.

Kwon-Hyo Lee boriam@donga.com