On Tuesday afternoon, former employees and members of the Alba Organization, Korea’s labor union for part-time workers, protested in front of the now-closed Mangwon outlet, affixing signs festooned with angry slogans to the front of the building. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – McDonald’s Korea’s Mangwon branch had its franchise contract with the fast food company terminated on December 1 of last year.
According to McDonald’s, the owner of concern had been failing to fulfill the terms of agreement, including paying the company franchise commissions amounting to a total of about 700 million won ($586,264).
Even worse is that the owner, claiming that he suffered losses from another McDonald’s restaurant opening nearby, refused to pay the overdue amount and shuttered the restaurant on December 4 after firing some 60 employees who were owed 50-million-won ($41,865) in unpaid wages.
With the ongoing dispute between the company and the owner, the former employees of the Mangwon outlet are those most frustrated, with neither of the parties yet to reimburse the part-timers for the overdue wages.
On Tuesday afternoon, former employees and members of the Alba Organization, Korea’s labor union for part-time workers, protested in front of the now-closed Mangwon outlet, affixing signs festooned with angry slogans to the front of the building.
In an official statement, the Alba Organization demanded that McDonald’s advance the overdue wages and severance pay to the former employees, then demand indemnity from the owner. It also requested that the company provide jobs to employees who wish to continue working at McDonald’s.
“For part-timers, wages are essential to survival. We demand that McDonald’s resolve this matter as soon as possible,” said an official.
In response to the situation, McDonald’s Korea said that it’s doing its best to help the employees, and claimed that it hired 19 of the former Mangwon outlet workers to work at other McDonald’s restaurants.
However, as for unpaid wages, officials said, “we need the work data for the part-timers to pay their overdue wages, but only the owner can access the data,” adding that “trying to access the information without the owner’s consent is a violation of the law.”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
