Workers at Sinpo Shipyard have been forced to work unpaid overtime to “boost their sense of responsibility.” This follows North Korea’s failed destroyer launch at Chongjin Shipyard and the arrest of several people blamed for the disaster.
Workers are complaining that the new policy is unnecessary and hurts their ability to make a living.
According to a Daily NK source in South Hamgyong province, Sinpo Shipyard’s party committee held an internal meeting where they told workers to “boost their sense of responsibility” to prevent incidents like the failed destroyer launch. They called the accident at Chongjin Shipyard “a shame on shipyard workers everywhere.”
The shipyard’s party committee ordered mandatory overtime for all work teams and required workers to carefully document their daily activities in journals.
“Going home right after work shows you lack revolutionary spirit,” officials said, ordering party cell secretaries to report on workers’ attitudes, what time they leave, and whether they skip work without permission.
“Sinpo Shipyard workers can’t leave on time anymore and have to stay an extra hour or two every day doing busy work, but they don’t get paid for the overtime and don’t get extra food rations,” the source said. “Officials demand that workers look busy even when there’s nothing to do, which is making everyone more frustrated.”
“We usually kill time during regular hours doing odd jobs since there’s no real work anyway, and now officials watch us to make sure we stay late,” one Sinpo Shipyard worker said. “It would be fine if there was actual work to do, but I feel awful having to pretend I’m busy just to avoid getting in trouble for leaving when there’s nothing to do.”
Complaining all around
Workers are especially angry about the forced overtime because it directly hurts their families’ income.
“Everyone’s complaining that they need to help their wives at the market after work, but now they can’t because of the extended hours. Many people are saying workers are suffering just so the party committee can impress their bosses,” the source said.
In other words, workers who can barely survive on what their wives earn at markets—since shipyard salaries aren’t enough—are openly complaining about overtime policies designed mainly to make party officials look good.
“The problems at Chongjin Shipyard happened because of technical failures under terrible working conditions, and blaming workers for not being responsible or loyal enough is wrong,” some workers reportedly say. “You can’t weld properly just because you’re patriotic.”
