Yoon’s remarks come amid growing tensions at the DSME shipyard near the south coast town of Geoje, where around 100 DSME contractors went on strike in late June and occupied the main pier. shipyard, demanding a 30% salary increase.
The company, the country’s third-largest shipbuilder, said the dispute had cost it more than $400 million by mid-July.
“Illegality must not be … tolerated,” Mr Yoon said. Regarding a possible intervention by the government to end the strike, Yoon replied that the people and the government “have waited long enough”, Yonhap reported.
Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said on Monday that the occupation is “completely illegal” and will be met with a “stern response based on law and order”.
DSME said the headquarters halted production and delivery of new ships, costing the company 26 billion won ($19.74 million) a day and resulting in a cumulative loss of about 570 billion won to the July 14th.
The shipbuilder, which won orders for 18 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers this year, told Reuters this month the strike was undermining its operations because the company is already short of thousands of workers, mostly welders. , who had left the industry when orders were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The occupation also threatens the livelihoods of some 100,000 workers at DSME and its partners, the company said in a previous statement.
($1 = 1,317.2800 won)