Starbucks Korea workers form union, first in domestic franchise coffee industry

Starbucks Korea has established a union chapter, becoming the first franchise coffee brand in the country to do so.

According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' National Chemical Textile Food Industry Workers' Union, Starbucks Korea workers joined the union on Thursday and established the Starbucks chapter.

The chapter said it formed because the company had repeatedly limited communication with employees through a superficial forum called "Gongam-hoe," smoothing over immediate issues with appeasement rather than direct solutions. It added that management had unilaterally imposed increasingly demanding events and operational policies while ignoring workers' demands.

The chapter also raised concerns about shrinking shift staffing, a growing number of promotions and events, rising workloads, wages barely sufficient for living expenses, work schedules that make it difficult to take on a second job, and obstacles to filing for industrial accident compensation.

Starbucks Korea employs about 23,000 people, with store workers directly hired by the head office. The company said in an official statement that it would "communicate with the union in accordance with relevant laws."