(EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Aug. 7)

What was lost at Ssangyong

The maelstrom at Ssangyong Motors has finally been put down. It is regrettable
that the conflict did not end peacefully, with negotiations between labor and
management.


And it was difficult to watch as the people involved in the dispute
were hurt in the physical struggles that continued throughout the conflict. The
illegal protest, which persisted for 77 days, damaged not only the automaker, but
also the economy. It is fortunate that it has been brought to an end.
We have lost so much over the course of the demonstration. Ssangyong lost 320
billion won ($261.5 million) from suspended production. When damages to the
company???s approximately 600 trading partners and the restaurants that were once
frequented by Ssangyong workers are taken into account, the amount lost hovers
above 1 trillion won.
Beyond the financial damage, there are other incalculable losses. Korea???s image
in the international community has been tarnished. And there is no way to measure
the tragedy of people who worked side by side as colleagues yesterday, fighting
against one another as enemies today.
The automaker needs to bring itself back to normal. Although the demonstration at
Ssangyong has ended, orchestrating the company???s recovery seems a more
difficult task than ever. Due to the losses from the demonstration, the company
is worth less if it keeps its doors open than if it chooses to liquidate its
assets. But the workers should not despair. They should do their best to help
bring things back to normal should the court order liquidation.
The government should first focus on minimizing the financial damage to the
company. Although the government should be sure to take the workers??? efforts at
normalization into account, it should also take swift steps to embark on a
liquidation process to calm domestic and foreign investors and prevent additional
damage.
Now that the demonstration is over, some 20,000 workers, including those from
Ssangyong???s partner companies, are on the verge of losing their jobs. In
addition, the dearth of auto parts has left around 1 million Ssangyong car owners
without proper after-sales service.
We hope the government will designate Pyeongtaek, the area where the Ssangyong
plant is based, as a special district to boost employment and bail out as many of
Ssangyong???s partners as possible.
The extended strike has caused conflicts not only among Ssangyong workers but
also within the local community. It was dangerous for civic groups and political
parties to have labeled the protest as an ideological conflict.
Labor-management conflicts caused by corporate restructuring are not supposed to
lead to social division.
(END)