South Korea’s Bio Giant Celltrion Faces First-Ever Labor Union

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[Asia Times=Reporter Kim Ji-soo] A labor union at Celltrion has been launched, the first since the company was founded in 2002.

On June 2, the National Union of Chemical, Textile and Food Industry Workers of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said Celltrion employees formed the new union on June 1.

Celltrion workers issued a declaration establishing a branch and announced the official launch of the Celltrion branch, Unitrion. They did not disclose specific membership numbers.

In their founding statement, they declared that \”the era of fake communication is over\” and demanded transparent compensation and respect commensurate with their dedication.

They said that while Celltrion has been a driving force behind South Korea’s biotech success, the workers who kept production running around the clock and kept lab lights on were met with sacrifices framed as \”pride\” and with abrupt notifications rather than fair rewards. The union was formed to restore workers’ legitimate rights and to build workplaces governed by common sense.

Their main demands include transparent criteria for excess-profit performance bonuses (PS) and the establishment of a wage-setting system centered on collective bargaining.

They also called for hiring full-time staff to meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, an end to rotating shifts that simply shuffle personnel, stronger employee welfare provisions, and recognition of workers’ right to refuse unilateral work orders.

Earlier, the union at Samsung Biologics — one of the industry’s two dominant firms — staged a five-day strike in early May. Negotiations between labor and management have stretched out as unions continue lawful actions demanding better pay and working conditions.