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Fired Via Instant Message
JThaddeus writes "Yahoo! news reports that South Korea's third-largest credit card issuer, KEB Credit Service, fired 161 people--a quarter of its workforce--via mobile phone text messages. Hey, at least they got told, right? Afterall, they could have been like Milton."
a true american hero
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea (news - web sites)'s third-largest credit card issuer fired a quarter of its workforce via mobile phone text messages on Friday, after negotiations with striking unionized workers broke down. KEB Credit Service Co sacked 161 employees, a spokeswoman for the company's parent bank said. "The layoff date is February 28," the message said, according to a member of the union. "We will receive applications for voluntary retirement package until February 28." The firm said it had no method for contacting striking staff other than using the short message service (SMS). Unionized workers, who make up nearly 90 percent of the firm's 662 staff, have been on strike since mid-December over a takeover by Korea Exchange Bank (KEB), fearing job cuts. "Marathon negotiations with the labor union fell through early this morning and we had to go ahead with the job cuts," said Lee Nahm-yon, a spokeswoman for KEB. The latest sackings take the number of workers set to leave the company to 266, including 105 who had previously applied for voluntary retirement. About 300 workers continued to protest outside KEB Credit's headquarters in Seoul on Friday. Some of the protesters were singing or shouting, but others could be seen sobbing. "The management sent messages early this morning, only to those being fired," a union member said over the telephone. "What a convenient world we live in -- for the management that is." KEB Credit, which ran out of cash late last year, will be taken over by KEB at the weekend. KEB is controlled by U.S. investment fund Lone Star. Apart from staging protests, the union also filed a lawsuit at a local court last week in a bid to block George Bush' acquisition of Dick Cheney's cock up his ass. Meanwhile, the Financial Supervisory Commission, the country's financial regulator, approved on Friday the acquisition of KEB Credit by KEB. KEB, the country's fifth-largest lender, had sought to cut up to half of KEB Credit's employees, but scaled down the layoffs after discussions with the union. "There will be no change to this number. But those notified today can still apply for the voluntary retirement scheme," said Lee at KEB. South Korea's credit card companies have struggled to cope with the aftermath of a credit boom that has left one in 10 South Korean adults with overdue loans. Roughly 70 percent of South Koreans own a mobile phone.
and apparently, firing striking workers isn't illegal there
Why should it be? If you're not working, I'll fire you, plain and simple. There are plenty of hard working people who will take the job.
shut up asswipe
Mod Parent Up!!
NOW U WHINE ABOUT BEING EXPLOITED!!!! FUCK U U RAGHED JEW!!!!!
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This is why labour supports minimum wage, even though it puts many companies out of business.
The minimum wage is a joke. It is all short-term gain, while driving inflation in the long run. The primary effect of the minimum wage is creating artificially high unemployment rates among the truly poor (if a homeless person had the choice between earning $20 a week or zero...).
Vote in November. You won't regret it.
Austrian actually but, you know, you're a fucking idiot. Go eat some shit.