Korean union challenges wage injustice at French shipping giant

The union also raised concerns about efforts to undermine union activity. Established in 2022 with support from UNI affiliate Korea Federation of Service Workers’ Unions (KFSWU), the CMA-CGM Korea Union was the first enterprise-level union formed in a foreign-owned shipping company in Korea.

However, the company has not established effective grievance-handling or dialogue mechanisms with the union. Instead, management reportedly engaged law firm Kim & Chang to investigate whether conversations between department heads and the union president constituted workplace harassment.

In response, union members have begun daily lunchtime picketing and pledged to escalate actions if negotiations do not progress meaningfully.

Rajendra Acharya, Regional Secretary of UNI Asia & Pacific, stated: “CMA-CGM’s public commitments to workers’ rights and ethical business must be reflected in its actions in every country. It is unacceptable for a global company of this scale to undercut industry standards while silencing workers’ voices. We stand with the CMA-CGM Korea Union in their pursuit of dignity and genuine dialogue.”

UNI Asia & Pacific extends full solidarity with the CMA-CGM Korea Union in their struggle for fair compensation and freedom of association.

CMA-CGM is subject to France’s Duty of Vigilance Law which requires large companies to identify risks related to human rights across their operations. The company's 2024 Vigilance Plan states that it respects employees' rights to form unions and supports social dialogue according to local rules.