Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 93누20115

Revocation of Retrial Decision on Remedy for Unfair Labor Practice, etc.부당노동행위구제재심판정취소등

Decided1994. 06. 14. Court대법원Employer won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
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AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

In this case, a labor union member was disciplinarily dismissed for allegedly obstructing company operations. The Supreme Court of Korea (대법원) ruled that defects in the composition of the disciplinary committee (징계위원회) and the employer's failure to complete the Labor Relations Commission's (노동위원회) recognition procedure did not affect the validity of the dismissal. The Court held that as long as there is just cause for dismissal (정당한 이유), such procedural defects do not invalidate it, and that an employer may establish new grounds for discipline in the employment rules (취업규칙) as long as they do not conflict with the collective bargaining agreement (단체협약).

Key takeaways
  • CaseA labor union member was disciplinarily dismissed for allegedly obstructing company business, and challenged the dismissal as an unfair labor practice, citing defects in the disciplinary committee's composition and procedural violations.
  • OutcomeThe Supreme Court ruled that as long as there was just cause for dismissal, defects in the disciplinary committee's composition or failure to complete the Labor Relations Commission's prior recognition procedure did not affect the dismissal's validity.
  • LessonEmployers should focus on clearly establishing just cause for dismissal rather than relying solely on procedural correctness, and may specify additional disciplinary grounds in the employment rules as long as they remain consistent with the collective bargaining agreement.
Issues
  • Whether the composition of the disciplinary committee (징계위원회) was lawful despite having fewer union-side members than required
  • Whether failure to complete the Labor Relations Commission's (노동위원회) recognition procedure or violation of the advance notice of dismissal requirement invalidates the dismissal
  • The relationship between disciplinary grounds set out in the collective bargaining agreement (단체협약) and those newly established in the employment rules (취업규칙)
Key reasoning

Even if the disciplinary committee had fewer members than required because the union side failed to appoint its representatives, the committee's composition was still deemed lawful. Failure to obtain prior recognition from the Labor Relations Commission or violation of the statutory notice-of-dismissal requirement does not affect the validity of a dismissal, provided that just cause for dismissal exists. Additionally, an employer may lawfully add new disciplinary grounds through its employment rules, so long as those grounds do not conflict with the collective bargaining agreement. Thus, procedural irregularities alone are insufficient to overturn a dismissal backed by substantive justification.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] Even if only one employee-side member attended the disciplinary committee, although the collective agreement (단체협약) provides that the disciplinary committee shall be composed of company-side members and two employee-side members, if the reason therefor is not that the employer deprived the labor union of its right to select disciplinary committee members, but rather that the employer gave the labor union an opportunity to exercise its right to select disciplinary committee members and yet, due to circumstances on the part of the labor union, only one member was selected instead of two, then the disciplinary committee may be convened without the attendance of the remaining one member.

[2] Even if the collective agreement (단체협약) provides that disciplinary dismissal of a union member requires the recognition of the Labor Relations Commission (노동위원회), under the current statutes and regulations the Labor Relations Commission has no authority to grant prior recognition regarding the dismissal of an employee, and such recognition is nothing more than an act of factual confirmation for administrative supervisory purposes aimed at preventing wrongful immediate dismissal arising from the employer's arbitrary will. Therefore, even if the company dismissed the employee without obtaining the recognition of the Labor Relations Commission as provided under the collective agreement, this cannot affect the validity of the dismissal, and even a dismissal made in violation of the duty to give advance notice of dismissal does not affect the civil-law validity of the dismissal, so long as the dismissal is supported by justifiable grounds.

[3] So long as it does not contravene the collective agreement (단체협약), the employer may establish new grounds for disciplinary action in the rules of employment (취업규칙), and may also impose discipline based on such grounds for disciplinary action. Accordingly, if the company's rules of employment prescribe new grounds for disciplinary action unrelated to the grounds for disciplinary action set forth in the collective agreement, this cannot be deemed to contravene the provisions of the collective agreement, and therefore a disciplinary dismissal made by applying the rules of employment cannot be deemed unlawful.

Full text (English, AI translation) 4,758 chars

[Plaintiff, Appellant]

[Defendant, Appellee] Chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission

[Defendant Intervenor] Yudal Taxi Co., Ltd. (유한회사 유달택시), Attorney Lee Bong-gu, Litigation Representative

[Court Below] Seoul High Court Decision 92Gu8493, dated August 12, 1993

[Order]

The appeal is dismissed. The costs of the appeal are to be borne by the Plaintiff.

[Reasoning]

The Court examines the grounds of appeal submitted by the Plaintiff's litigation representative.

1. According to the reasoning of the judgment below, the court below found, based on the evidence cited, the following facts: that the Plaintiff, on several occasions from May 12, 1991 to August 19, 1991, obstructed the business of the Defendant Intervenor company (hereinafter "the Intervenor company") by means of assault and other acts as set forth in its findings; that the Intervenor company notified the Plaintiff on October 11, 1991 of the holding of a disciplinary committee; that the disciplinary committee held at 11:00 on the 16th of the same month had the Plaintiff appear, heard his explanation, and resolved to dismiss the Plaintiff as a disciplinary measure; and that Article 71, Item 3 of the Intervenor company's rules of employment provides, as one of the grounds for disciplinary action, "a person who obstructs the performance of business through assault or intimidation." Upon comparing the relevant evidence with the record, the fact-finding and evidentiary determinations made by the court below are found to be justified and acceptable, and there is no illegality due to misapprehension of facts in violation of the rules of evidence as pointed out in the grounds of appeal. This ground of appeal is without merit.

2.

Even where the collective agreement provides that the disciplinary committee is to be composed of company-side members and two employee-side members, if, as the court below lawfully found, only one employee-side member attended the disciplinary committee that resolved to discipline the Plaintiff, and this was not because the employer deprived the labor union of its right to select disciplinary committee members, but because, although the labor union was given the opportunity to exercise its right to select disciplinary committee members, only one member attended due to circumstances on the labor union's side that prevented the selection of two members, then it must be held that the disciplinary committee could be held without the attendance of the remaining one member.

Furthermore, even where the collective agreement provides that disciplinary dismissal of a union member requires the recognition of the Labor Relations Commission, under the current laws and regulations the Labor Relations Commission has no authority to grant prior recognition with respect to the dismissal of an employee, and such recognition is nothing more than a fact-confirming act for purposes of administrative supervision intended to prevent arbitrary and unjust summary dismissal by the employer; therefore, even if the company dismissed the employee without obtaining the Labor Relations Commission's recognition as required under the collective agreement, this cannot affect the validity of the dismissal (see this Court's Decisions 93Da49192, dated January 11, 1994; 90Da18463, dated September 24, 1991, etc.), and even a dismissal made in violation of the obligation to give advance notice of dismissal does not affect the private-law validity of the dismissal so long as the dismissal is based on justifiable grounds (see this Court's Decision 93Nu4199, dated September 24, 1993).

Meanwhile, so long as it does not conflict with the collective agreement, the employer may establish new grounds for discipline in the rules of employment, and may impose discipline based on such grounds for discipline (see this Court's Decisions 92Da48697, dated April 27, 1993; 92Nu13035, dated January 15, 1993, etc.). Article 71, Item 3 of the Intervenor company's rules of employment provides for a new ground for discipline unrelated to the grounds for discipline set forth in Article 29 of the collective agreement, and it cannot be said that this provision conflicts with the provisions of Article 29 of the collective agreement. Accordingly, it cannot be said that the disciplinary dismissal of the Plaintiff by application of Article 71, Item 3 of the rules of employment was unlawful.

All grounds of appeal are without merit.

3. Therefore, the appeal is dismissed, and the costs of the appeal are to be borne by the losing party. This judgment is rendered as stated in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the participating Justices.

Justice Ahn Woo-man (Presiding Justice), Kim Yong-jun, Chun Kyung-song (Justice in Charge), Ahn Yong-deuk

【판결요지】

가. 단체협약에 징계위원회를 회사측 위원과 근로자측 위원 2명으로 구성하도록 되어 있는데 징계위원회에 근로자측 위원이 1명만 참석했다 하더라도 그 이유가 사용자가 노동조합의 징계위원 선정권을 박탈한 데 있는 것이 아니라, 노동조합측에 징계위원 선정권을 행사할 기회를 부여하였는데도 노동조합측의 사정으로 2명의 위원을 선정하지 못해 1명만 참석한 것이라면, 나머지 1명의 참석 없이도 징계위원회를 개최할 수 있다.

나. 단체협약에 조합원에 대한 징계해고는 노동위원회의 인정을 받아야 한다고 규정되어 있다고 하더라도 현행 법령의 규정상 근로자의 해고에 관하여 사전에 인정을 할 수 있는 권한이 노동위원회에는 없고, 또 그 인정은 사용자의 자의에 의한 부당한 즉시해고를 방지하기 위한 행정감독상의 사실확인행위에 지나지 아니하는 것이므로 회사가 근로자를 해고하면서 단체협약의 규정에 따른 노동위원회의 인정을 받지 않았다 하더라도 그 해고의 효력에는 영향을 미칠 수 없고, 해고예고의무를 위반한 해고라 하더라도 해고의 정당한 이유를 갖추고 있는 한 해고의 사법상 효력에는 영향이 없다.

다. 단체협약에 반하지 않는 한 사용자는 취업규칙에서 새로운 징계사유를 정할 수 있고, 그 징계사유에 터잡아 징계할 수도 있는 것인바, 회사 취업규칙이 단체협약 소정의 징계사유와는 관련이 없는 새로운 징계사유를 규정한 것이라면 이를 단체협약의 규정에 반하는 것이라 할 수 없고, 따라서 취업규칙을 적용하여 징계해고한 것을 위법하다 할 수 없다.

【참조조문】

근로기준법 제27조 제1항 , 제27조의2 , 제97조 제1항 , 노동조합법 제36조 제1항

【참조판례】

가. 대법원 1993.2.9. 선고 92다27102 판결(공1993상,937), 1993.9.28. 선고 91다30620 판결(공1993하,2933) / 나. 대법원 1991.9.24. 선고 90다18463 판결(공1991,2594), 1993.9.24. 선고 93누4199 판결(공1993하,2977), 1994.1.11. 선고 93다49192 판결(공1994상,697) / 다. 대법원 1993.1.15. 선고 92누13035 판결(공1993상,742), 1993.4.27. 선고 92다48697 판결(공1993하,1558), 1994.6.14. 선고 93다26151 판결(공1994하,1939)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,799자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 상고인】

【피고, 피상고인】 중앙노동위원회위원장

【피고보조참가인】 유한회사 유달택시 소송대리인 변호사 이봉구

【원심판결】 서울고등법원 1993.8.12. 선고 92구8493 판결

【주 문】

상고를 기각한다. 상고비용은 원고의 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 원고 소송대리인의 상고이유를 본다.

1. 원심판결 이유에 의하면, 원심은 거시증거를 들어, 원고가 1991.5.12.부터 같은 해 8. 19.까지 수회에 걸쳐 그 판시와 같은 폭행 등의 수단으로 피고보조참가인 회사(이하 참가인 회사라 한다)의 업무를 방해한 사실, 참가인 회사는 1991.10.11. 원고에게 징계위원회 개최사실을 통지하였고, 같은 달 16. 11:00에 개최된 징계위원회는 원고를 출석시켜 그 변소를 듣고 원고를 징계해고하기로 의결한 사실, 참가인 회사 취업규칙 제71조 제3호는 징계사유의 하나로 "폭행 또는 협박으로 업무집행을 방해한 자"를 규정하고 있는 사실을 인정하고 있는바, 관계증거를 기록과 대조하여 보면 원심이 거친 증거취사와 사실인정은 정당한 것으로 수긍이 되고 거기에 논지가 지적하는 바와 같은 채증법칙 위배로 인한 사실오인의 위법은 없다. 논지는 이유 없다.

2. 단체협약에 징계위원회를 회사측 위원과 근로자측 위원 2명으로 구성하도록 되어 있는데 원고에 대한 징계를 결의한 징계위원회에 근로자측 위원이 1명만 참석했다 하더라도, 그 이유가, 원심이 적법히 인정한 바와 같이, 사용자가 노동조합의 징계위원 선정권을 박탈한 데 있는 것이 아니라, 노동조합측에 징계위원 선정권을 행사할 기회를 부여하였는데도 노동조합측의 사정으로 2명의 위원을 선정하지 못해 1명만 참석한 것이라면, 나머지 1명의 참석없이도 징계위원회를 개최할 수 있다 할 것이다.

그리고 단체협약에 조합원에 대한 징계해고는 노동위원회의 인정을 받아야 한다고 규정되어 있다고 하더라도 현행 법령의 규정상 근로자의 해고에 관하여 사전에 인정을 할수 있는 권한이 노동위원회에는 없고, 또 그 인정은 사용자의 자의에 의한 부당한 즉시해고를 방지하기 위한 행정감독상의 사실확인 행위에 지나지 아니하는 것이므로 회사가 근로자를 해고하면서 단체협약의 규정에 따른 노동위원회의 인정을 받지 않았다 하더라도 그 해고의 효력에는 영향을 미칠 수 없고( 당원 1994.1.11. 선고 93다49192 판결; 1991.9.24. 선고 90다18463 판결 등 참조), 해고 예고의무를 위반한 해고라 하더라도 해고의 정당한 이유를 갖추고 있는 한 해고의 사법상 효력에는 영향이 없다 할 것이다( 당원 1993.9.24. 선고 93누4199 판결 참조).

한편 단체협약에 반하지 않는 한 사용자는 취업규칙에서 새로운 징계사유를 정할 수 있고, 그 징계사유에 터잡아 징계할 수도 있는 것인바( 당원 1993.4.27. 선고 92다48697 판결; 1993.1.15. 선고 92누13035 판결 등 참조), 참가인 회사 취업규칙 제71조 제3호는 단체협약 제29조 소정의 징계사유와는 관련이 없는 새로운 징계사유를 규정한 것으로서 이를 단체협약 제29조의 규정에 반하는 것이라고 할 수 없고, 따라서 취업규칙 제71조 제3호를 적용하여 원고를 징계해고한 것을 위법하다고 할 수 없다.

논지는 모두 이유 없다.

3. 그러므로 상고를 기각하고 상고비용은 패소자의 부담으로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 안우만(재판장) 김용준 천경송(주심) 안용득

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