GM Daewoo Rehires Hundreds of Workers

Seoul July 14, 2003; Bae Keun-min writing for the Koreas Times reported as ex-workers at Daewoo Motor's Pupyong plants, who were laid off amid the company's restructuring process nAccording to Daewoo Incheon Motor, Daewoo Motor's largest production plant complex in Pupyong, east of Inchon, and its labor union yesterday, 416 workers will be back on the job this week after medical exams.

This reinstatement was made in accordance with an agreement made between the company and the union, which guaranteed all workers could return to work if they so desired.

Among the 1,725 employees laid off during restructuring in Feb. 2001, some 300 workers came back to the plant late last year. The company said about 200 more of those laid off will take up their previous positions in the latter half of next year.

Out of the 416 workers, some 80 will be placed in the engine production division from today. The rest will be stationed at the factory in Karlos model production, where two shifts a day will operate from next month.

The company and its labor union said that they will discuss bringing some more workers back if necessary to run the factories in two shifts.

During its takeover of Daewoo Motor last year, GM pledged it would begin operation of the Pupyong plants within six years as soon as they met the four conditions of labor-management harmony, productivity, quality and the day-night shift for six successive months.