"Empty Communication and Excessive Events"... Starbucks Korea Workers Form Labor Union

Starbucks Korea has established a labor union branch, a first in the domestic franchise coffee industry.

According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) - Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union on the 19th, employees of Starbucks Korea, the Korean subsidiary of the global coffee company, joined the KCTU-affiliated union on the 16th and formed the Starbucks branch.

The Starbucks branch stated the reason for the union's establishment, saying, "The company has consistently limited communication channels with partners through an empty method called 'empathy meetings,' and has dealt with immediate issues by coaxing and appeasing rather than providing direct solutions." They added, "Ignoring the demands of partners, the company has instead unilaterally introduced more excessive events and operational policies than before."

They also raised issues including decreasing staffing levels during shifts, an increasing number of promotions and events, rising labor intensity for partners, wages that are barely enough for a living, work schedules that make it difficult to hold side jobs, and difficulties in filing for industrial accidents.

Starbucks Korea has approximately 23,000 employees, and store workers are directly employed by the headquarters.

In response, the company released an official statement saying, "We will communicate with the labor union in accordance with relevant laws and regulations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.