MBC fires head of reporters’ union

MBC, one of the country’s major terrestrial broadcasters, has dismissed the head of its reporters’ union for leading an ongoing month-long walkout. The broadcaster’s latest move in the unprecedented labor-management standoff has invited strong protests from reporters who have in return vowed to take more radical action to oust company President Kim Jae-chul and other senior managers.

MBC held a disciplinary committee meeting Wednesday and decided to fire Park Sung-ho, chairman of the reporters’ association at the broadcaster, for breaching internal orders by instigating fellow reporters to go on strike. The committee also suspended the head of the image producers’ association from his duties for three months.

MBC President Kim approved the decision later in the day.

Following the management’s disciplinary action against the leaders of striking reporters, the unions issued a joint statement. It stressed that Kim is the one who should leave the broadcaster. ``We feel shock, dismay and anger over the management’s decision to dismiss our leaders. Kim should be held responsible for forcing us to take extreme measures. He is the one who must quit,’’ the statement read.

MBC reporters have been staging the strike since January 22 after 115 out of 137 eligible reporters voted in favor of the walkout. Since then, MBC has not been able to produce news reports and other regular programming, suffering a steep decline in viewership.

Reporters have called for Kim’s resignation, claiming he has turned the broadcaster into a mere government-mouthpiece. They argued that under Kim’s watch, MBC news programs have become silent on important or sensitive news stories concerning the government, and released biased reports on other issues.

Meanwhile, reporters at cable news channel YTN have also decided to go on strike next week. Its reporters’ union said 317 out of 368 eligible voters took part in a vote and of them, 208, or 65.6 percent, voted in favor.

The union said it has not yet decided exactly when the collective action will begin, but said it will stop producing news programs before March 9 when YTN shareholders hold their annual meeting. Reporters are calling for the reinstatement of dismissed reporters and demanding company President Bae Seok-kyu step down.

Reporters at the state-run public broadcaster KBS are also poised to stage a walkout from March 6.