CEOs are called to the National Assembly hearing and say’industrial accidents are caused by workers’

Even though the National Assembly hearings were held unusually for the recurring industrial accidents every year, the distorted perceptions of corporate representatives who were responsible for the accidents remained. He bowed his head saying “I’m sorry” for the successive industrial accidents, but did not come up with a specific solution, but turned the cause of the accident to the worker.

At the’Industrial Accident-related Hearing’ held at the National Assembly’s Environmental Labor Committee on the 22nd, representatives of nine companies that have recently suffered industrial accidents in the construction, courier, and manufacturing industries were called as witnesses. It was a hearing held to point out the core causes of industrial accidents and to discuss ways to reduce industrial accidents in the future, but the irresponsible words and actions of some witnesses faded the light.

‘A lot of industrial accidents happen due to unsafe behavior of workers’
Democratic Party lawmakers criticize Hyundai Heavy Industries’ CEO Han Young-seok
“You need to diagnose it right”, “Really wrong way”

First of all, Han Young-seok, CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, “It seems that there is no improvement in relation to industrial accidents, but what kind of countermeasures will be taken?” We apologize, “I express my sincere regret to those who have been deceased in an industrial accident accident.”

Problematic remarks came as soon as the apology was finished. Representative Han said, “Because we see the types of accidents that occur, a lot of things are actually caused by unsafe conditions and worker behavior.” (It’s difficult to change)” he argued.

Representative Han said, “Our workshop has about 30,000 employees and is a workshop that handles heavy objects.” But) There are still many workers who are acting unsafe, so we will manage those parts more carefully to create a safe workplace.”

Such remarks became controversial as they were read as remarks that shifted much of the responsibility for industrial accident accidents to workers. This is because the company tries to create a safe environment through appropriate investment, but it is a claim to the effect that many industrial accidents occur due to unsafe behavior of workers.

Right now, Democrat Lee Su-jin, a member of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KFTU), pointed out the inappropriate remarks of a representative.

Rep. Lee said, “If you think that one of the main causes of industrial accidents is unsafe behavior, and that workers are doing wrong because they do not obey something, you will not be able to escape from the punishment of the severe disaster law (to be implemented in the future).” I have to do it again.

He criticized, “(This remark) evangelizes (responsibility) as if an accident occurs because of unsafe behavior of workers.”

Democratic Party lawmaker Jang Cheol-min also asked about the remarks of a representative instead of a previously prepared inquiry.

Rep. Jang said, “Can you tell me what unsafe behavior caused the workers to die out of these three cases?”

He continued, “Isn’t it a problem to think in one direction (industrial accident countermeasures) that we will eliminate unsafe behavior of workers?” .

One of the representatives consistently said that the purpose of his remarks did not mean that. Representative Han argued that “Unsafe work meant that it was an informal work,” and that it meant removing irrational elements when managing the workplace.

Representative Han replied, “We will do our best to create a safe workplace by changing the standard work so that unsafe work does not occur, and by making everything so that non-standard work can be standardized.”

Overworked due to “chronic overwork” was recognized.
CEO of Coupang adheres to the claim that’the work intensity was low’

Coupang Full Filament Service Notman Joseph Nathan, CEO of Coupang Full-filment Service, criticized the claim that the late Jang Deok-jun, a 28-year-old young worker at the Coupang Logistics Center, recently recognized as overworked by the Labor Welfare Service, was at a low level of work.

Jang has been working late at night from 7pm to 4am for 16 months after joining the company, and while working in Coupang due to hard labor, Jang’s weight lost 15kg. According to the judgment on occupational diseases in which Mr. Jang’s industrial accident was recognized, it was admitted that the deceased had continued “chronic heavy work”. It was also confirmed that the muscle of the deceased was acutely destroyed due to excessive use of the muscle, according to medical findings. Coupang, who had denied the overwork of the deceased, issued an apology to express regret to the bereaved only after such results came out.

At a hearing on the day, CEO Nathan said to a question of Justice Party lawmaker Eun-mi Kang who asked, “The coupang side said that the work intensity of the 7th floor where the deceased worked is low, but do you think that way?” “It may be different depending on the position.” I think it’s true that the work intensity is low.” For reference, questions and answers with CEO Nathan were made through simultaneous interpretation.

Rep. Kang said, “Coupang’s argument is that the work of a worker named Jang Deok-jun is not difficult. If this is true, the person with the least intensity of work has died from overwork. Moreover (due to low-intensity work), 27-year-old younger “The worker’s muscle was destroyed.”

Rep. Kang’s repeated questions, President Nathan gave the same document-answered answer. “I understand that the deceased was doing the’Water Spider’ business,” said Mr. Nathan, and explained that Jang did a field support job called’Spider’.

Rep. Kang said, “I’m not aware of the water spider work. Did you see the (departed’s) verdict?” and said, “The verdict has a daily weight of more than 470kg, worked an average of 58.7 hours per week, and worked 58.3 hours for 12 weeks. So, so “Is this person denying this judgment itself because he died overwork?”

At that time, CEO Nathan said, “I do not deny the results of the survey. We respect the survey,” and said, “We will try to improve the working environment based on the information obtained through the survey results.”

Rep. Kang also pointed out that some of the workshops in Coupang, such as the workplace where the deceased worked, are not properly equipped with heating and cooling facilities. However, Mr. Nathan said, “I think we did our best to improve not only temperature control, but also all work environment related to work,” and “we have been dealing with this problem.”

On the other hand, POSCO’s CEO Choi Jeong-woo, who had tried to absent due to a “backache,” was also called to the industrial accident hearing on that day. Earlier, Chairman Choi tried to avoid hearing with a medical certificate of’lumbar sprain’, but he received fierce criticism as this’trick’ was announced through media reports.

Rep. Kim Woong’s power of the people said, “I submitted a two-week medical certificate for a lumbar sprain, but the person who asked me to give it was probably less than a friend of the witness.” “Because lumbar sprains and cervical sprains are mainly caused by’insurance scammers’ It seems that it is not a medical certificate that the CEO of POSCO can give out.”

Democratic Party lawmaker Roh Woong-rae also criticized, “I’m fine now, but it’s unfamiliar to have a medical certificate for two weeks.”

Chairman Choi said, “I think my thoughts were short,” he said, “I’m sorry.”