The Incheon District Court ordered the Samsung Biologics labor union to pay 20 million won per violation if it disrupts core production processes [1].
The ruling aims to prevent production delays at one of the world's largest contract development and manufacturing organizations. Because the company operates critical biological drug processes, any unauthorized stoppage could lead to significant supply chain failures and financial losses.
The court issued this "indirect compulsory execution" decision on May 21 [1]. The judge said there was a high probability that the union, led by chairman Park Jae-sung, would violate a previous injunction that prohibited industrial action [1]. The court's decision serves as a financial deterrent to ensure the existing injunction remains effective.
Samsung Biologics previously filed complaints against six individuals, including the union chairman [2]. A company representative said the labor union encouraged workers to use collective annual leave to create the effect of a strike, even in processes where strikes were prohibited [3].
However, the court noted that the legal determination of whether specific union guidelines regarding holiday work or annual leave actually violate the injunction has not yet been finalized. A judge said that whether the union's instructions to members conflict with the previous injunction would be determined through future hearings [4].
A spokesperson for the Samsung Biologics union said the court's decision was based on the probability that the union might violate the injunction in the future. The spokesperson said the ruling does not mean the union has actually committed a violation, or that its industrial actions have been ruled illegal [4].
“The court ordered the union to pay 20 million won per violation if it disrupts core production processes.”
This ruling highlights the tension between labor rights and the operational stability of high-stakes biotech manufacturing. By implementing indirect compulsory execution, the court is prioritizing the continuity of the production line over the union's tactical use of leave, signaling that the judiciary views biological drug manufacturing as a critical infrastructure where traditional strike methods may be legally restricted.
