Lack of Labor Rights Guarantee in SPC

written by 20120 Choi Ha Eun 

The SPC Group is a business group that includes more than 20 famous food brands, including Paris Baguette, Dunkin Donuts, Paris Croissant and Baskin Robbins.

The company’s name has two meanings. The first is the “S” from Samlip and Shany’s, the “P” from Paris Croissant and the “C” means other companies. It also stands for a superb company with passionate and creative people. 

It is also famous for emphasizing the spirit of coexistence and sharing. But recently, SPC has had an issue because of its dark shadow. 

Critical debate is growing over SPC’s response after an accident where a female worker in her 20s was caught and killed in a device at an SPC baking factory. 

Along with criticism that only profits are valued over workers’ safety, a boycott movement is also growing. Even after the accident, SPC only distributed promotional materials for overseas expansion without any response about the accident. 

In the online community and social media platforms, there were public opinions that the SPC’s lack of response was too weak, even though an employee was killed in an accident.

Following the incident, some workers working in SPC said, “It was virtually impossible to take  health leave,” and “I had to put up with not being guaranteed an hour for lunch and sometimes not being paid extra for overtime.”

The boycott continues to spread through issues that re-examine labor laws, with the hashtag “SPC boycott” or posting summaries of SPC products and sharing brand products that can be used instead. 

Also, criticism from civic groups has continued. The lawyers’ group for a democratic society emphasized that they should be thoroughly investigated and severely punished, saying, “It clearly shows actions that value only productivity and profit over workers’ safety.”

The reason to pay attention to this problem is the fundamental labor rights of workers at numerous stores across the country. As well as SPC, many workers may have been neglected for a long time without feeling the company’s willingness to solve the problem. Finally, after a long struggle endured by SPC workers, the Special Act on Safety Management of Old Facilities in Industrial Complexes was enacted. 

The main objectives are to make employers prepare basic plans for old facilities and maintenance. They also must have improvement plans based on yearly safety inspection results. They must review the compliance of basic plans and improvement plans. Finally, local government heads must disclose the plans and check whether they are implemented.