[News 1] 사진 확대 [News 1]

K-Silicon Valley is suffering. As soon as Kakao concluded the wage and compensation agreement, the strike crisis surrounding Naver escalated. As the two major industries of information technology (IT) are facing labor-management conflicts side by side, uncertainty is expanding across the tech industry.

According to the IT industry on the 11th, Naver Jet, which operates Naver’s augmented reality (AR) avatar service Zepeto, is taking steps to strike. If realized, it will be the first strike involving Naver’s headquarters and affiliates.

Recently, Naver agreed to a wage agreement to raise wages by 5.3 percent, but Naver Jet said it would freeze salaries due to sluggish performance and market recession. Negotiations broke down as the joint statement of the Naver branch of the National Federation of Democratic Trade Unions called for an increase in the level of the headquarters.

When the autonomous negotiations between Naver Jet’s labor and management failed, the mediation process of the Gyeonggi Provincial Labor Commission of the Ministry of Employment and Labor began. However, it also ran parallel during the adjustment process. Both the first and second mediation meetings ended without any results.

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The union has voted for and against industrial action against its members. The vote was approved (98%) on the 5th. The overwhelming approval rate means that internal dissatisfaction with the salary freeze was that great. The union has the authority to legally strike, but the specific timing and method of the strike will be decided by collecting opinions from members.

Earlier, Kakao’s labor union also confirmed a wage agreement on the 7th, which calls for a 6.3% annual salary increase and a special incentive of 3 million won after a partial strike and a full-day strike. After three months of negotiations, we reached a point of contact. Analysts say that Kakao’s labor-management relations have affected the overall IT industry.

Naver has also announced a joint response at the group level. This means that Naver’s headquarters and affiliates will conduct integrated negotiations over a common agenda, not individual negotiations. The tables are combined to prevent differences in working conditions due to different management conditions and bargaining capabilities for each affiliate.

Naver’s labor union will hold an integrated negotiation debate at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 12th and explain the background of the integrated negotiations. After that, it plans to hold a ceremony to declare integrated negotiations and disclose a joint negotiation agenda to be delivered to Naver.