Kakao Bank Union Rejects Overtime Exceeding 40 Hours Per Week

The Kakao Bank labor union has initiated a legal struggle to refuse night, overtime, and holiday work that exceeds an average of 40 hours per week. Union members will only work within the limits of not exceeding an average of 40 hours per week when calculating working hours on a monthly basis, and they will also reject any work directives outside of working hours and demands that exceed the scope of collective agreements. This legal struggle strictly applies the working conditions set by law and collective agreements, and it is a collective action that refuses overtime or customary work requests. The union argues that the stable operation of financial services should not be predicated on long working hours or personal sacrifices by some members. Kakao Bank, as a mobile-centric internet-only bank, emphasizes the importance of its system for detecting and recovering from failures, in addition to its non-face-to-face service operating hours. This legal struggle is an extension of the labor-management conflict that began with issues related to the restructuring of the performance compensation system and wage adjustments. The Kakao branch has stated that it will respond if the company distorts the purpose of the legal struggle or disadvantages union members.