Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) will file a suit for damages of about 50 billion won against the subcontractor branch of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which illegally occupied Okpo Shipyard in Geoje of South Gyeongsang Province for 51 days, according to BusinessKorea.
The company reported the damage suit plan at a board meeting held on Aug. 19.
The subcontractor union went on strike on June 2, occupying the first dock of Okpo Shipyard, which is the world's largest of its kind. For the first time since its inception, DSME suffered the suspension of vessel launching. On July 22, the union’s 51-day strike ended with an agreement between the Partners Council and the subcontractor union. But DSME said that it would file a lawsuit against the subcontractor union, claiming that it suffered about 800 billion won in damage due to the suspension.
Industry insiders believe that the possibility of the company receiving compensation from the subcontractor union is not high, but the management made the decision to convey a strong message that an illegal occupation of a dock at the shipyard will not be tolerated anymore.