The participants at the gathering also revealed results of a survey on 291 KT workers who were assigned to the “cross-functional team” after declining to retire voluntarily in an offer made in April this year. (image: Kobizmedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – Some of the workers at KT who refused to take a voluntary retirement offer by the company have complained of harassment and discrimination in work assignment.
KT’s union members, jointly with human rights lawyers and advocacy group members as well as the offices of lawmakers Lee In-young and EunSumi (both New Politics Alliance for Democracy), gathered at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on November 4 to expose unfair practices of the nation’s largest telecom service operator.
The participants at the gathering also revealed results of a survey on 291 KT workers who were assigned to the “cross-functional team” after declining to retire voluntarily in an offer made in April this year.
Of the 221 responses, 126 said they were excluded from work, ignored or treated differently at the workplace (105), or assigned to tasks below their capability (102). In addition, 91 respondents said they were humiliated verbally, yelled at by their bosses or colleagues (80), fell victim to pranks (70), and physically abused (48).
As many as 75 percent of the workers said they were pressured to retire, warned of disadvantage if refusing to take the offer (57.0%), excluded from the work they were doing (55.7%), and treated as an outcast by team members (12.7%).
In a separate survey conducted by the same support groups on 8,320 former KT employees who have already retired under the voluntary program, 1,055 respondents returned the questionnaire.
As to a question what was the biggest reason for them to decide to quit, 48 percent answered they were afraid of reprisal or disadvantage if they stayed. Another 48 percent said they felt pressure to a degree of fearing that the company would do something to penalize them if they refused the offer.
By Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
