Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 90누7685

Revocation of Reexamination Decision on Remedy for Unfair Labor Practice (부당노동행위구제재심판정취소)부당노동행위구제재심판정취소

Decided1991. 04. 23. Court대법원Worker 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.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

The Supreme Court found that a company committed an unfair labor practice (부당노동행위) when it dismissed a worker by citing old, previously overlooked disciplinary grounds, while the real motive was the company's hostility toward the worker's labor union activities. The Court established the principle that whether a dismissal constitutes an unfair labor practice must be judged based on the true underlying reason for dismissal, not merely the reason stated on the surface, requiring a comprehensive review of the content and timing of the disciplinary grounds as well as the overall labor-management relationship.

Key takeaways
  • CaseThe company, disliking the worker's labor union activities, dismissed him by citing old disciplinary infractions as a pretext.
  • OutcomeThe court looked past the stated reasons and found the true motive was anti-union retaliation, ruling it an unfair labor practice (부당노동행위).
  • LessonEmployers should be aware that dismissing a worker for union activities can still be ruled an unfair labor practice even if disguised under a different official reason.
Issues
  • How to determine unfair labor practice (부당노동행위) when the stated reason for dismissal differs from the true underlying reason
  • Whether dismissal motivated by union activities constitutes unfair dismissal (부당해고) even when other justifications are cited
Key reasoning

Even if an employer presents a different reason for dismissal on its face, if the dismissal is in substance based on the worker's legitimate union-related activities, it constitutes an unfair labor practice (부당노동행위). To determine whether the employer had unlawful anti-union intent, courts must comprehensively consider all relevant circumstances, including the substantive content of the stated disciplinary grounds, the timing of the disciplinary action relative to union activities, and the broader context of labor-management relations. A dismissal that superficially relies on stale or minor misconduct, especially when such misconduct had previously gone unpunished, raises strong suspicion that the true motive was retaliation against union activity. Courts should look beyond the employer's formal justification to uncover the actual motive behind the disciplinary action.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] Where it is recognized that, contrary to the ostensible grounds for dismissal, an employer has in substance dismissed an employee because the employee engaged in legitimate activities for trade union business, such dismissal must be regarded as an unfair labor practice. Whether legitimate activities for trade union business constituted the substantial ground for dismissal should be determined comprehensively by comparing and examining the grounds for dismissal asserted by the employer, the content of the legitimate trade union activities engaged in by the employee, the timing of the disciplinary dismissal, the relationship between the employer and the trade union, and other circumstances from which the existence of an intent to commit an unfair labor practice may be inferred.

[2] A case holding that, where a company disciplinarily dismissed an employee citing as grounds for dismissal matters such as assaulting another employee, obstructing night work, failing to comply with a supervisor's work instructions, and manufacturing forklift feet without the company's consent—all of which had occurred four to eight months earlier—the dismissal was in fact an unfair dismissal motivated by the company's aversion to the employee's trade union activities, in which he had taken a firm stance during wage negotiations, with these matters being used merely as a pretext.

Full text (English, AI translation) 4,474 chars

[Plaintiff, Appellant] Bacilla Cabin Co., Ltd. (Attorneys Lee Jae-hu and 1 other, Counsel for the Plaintiff)
[Defendant, Appellee] Chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission
[Judgment Below] Seoul High Court Decision 89Gu11888 rendered on August 23, 1990

[Order]

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

[Reasoning]

We examine the grounds of appeal.

As to Ground No. 1
Upon reviewing the reasoning of the judgment below in light of the record, the fact-finding of the court below can be affirmed, and it cannot be said that there was any illegality in finding facts without evidence or in violating the rules of evidence.

Upon examining the record, considering the evidence cited by the court below in its totality, including Exhibits Eul No. 13-2, 13-3, and Eul No. 14, as well as the testimony of the witness Byeon Hwa-yong before the court below, it cannot be said that there was insufficient evidence to find the fact that the non-party, as a member of the labor union of the Plaintiff Company, took a relatively hardline position as a negotiator for the labor union side in the collective bargaining over the 1989 wage increase. Therefore, it cannot be said that the court below found this portion of the facts without evidence. This ground of appeal is without merit.

As to Ground No. 2
If the facts are as found by the court below, the reasoning of the court below that the Plaintiff Company's disciplinary dismissal of the non-party constituted an unfair labor practice under Article 39, Item 1 of the Trade Union Act (노동조합법), in that the dismissal was carried out on the pretext of the non-party's faults as found by the court below, while in reality being motivated by aversion to his labor union activities, can be affirmed, and it cannot be said that there was any illegality in the process, such as finding facts without evidence or failing to state adequate reasons. Therefore, this ground of appeal is also without merit.

As to Ground No. 3
Whether an employer's dismissal of an employee constitutes an unfair labor practice must be determined by whether the dismissal substantially falls under the grounds set forth in Article 39 of the Trade Union Act (노동조합법). Accordingly, where it is found that, contrary to the ostensible reason for dismissal, an employer has in substance dismissed an employee on the ground that the employee engaged in legitimate activities for labor union business, such dismissal must be regarded as an unfair labor practice. Whether the employee's legitimate activities for labor union business constituted the substantial reason for dismissal must be comprehensively determined by comparing and examining the grounds for dismissal asserted by the employer, the content of the employee's legitimate activities for labor union business, the timing of the disciplinary dismissal, the relationship between the employer and the labor union, and other circumstances from which the existence of an intent to commit an unfair labor practice may be inferred (see this Court's Decisions 89Nu8217, rendered August 10, 1990; and 90Nu6132, rendered February 22, 1991, respectively).

Accordingly, although the non-party did commit faults such as assaulting another employee, obstructing night-shift work, failing to comply with a superior's work instructions, and manufacturing forks for a forklift without the consent of the Plaintiff Company, it cannot be said that it was unlawful for the court below to find, in light of the fact that the non-party took a hardline position during the 1989 wage negotiations, the remarks and conduct of the Plaintiff Company's president at the time of the industrial action, and the fact that the grounds for the non-party's disciplinary dismissal were all raised as issues only 4 to 8 months after they had occurred, that these disciplinary grounds against the non-party were not the decisive motive for the dismissal, but rather that the non-party was dismissed on the pretext of the above faults due to aversion to his labor union activities.

The precedents cited in the argument are not applicable to this case.
This ground of appeal is also without merit.

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 Lee Hoi-chang (Presiding Justice), Lee Jae-seong, Bae Man-un, Kim Seok-su

【판결요지】

가. 사용자가 근로자를 해고함에 있어서 표면상의 해고이유와는 달리 실질적으로는 근로자가 노동조합업무를 위한 정당한 행위를 한 것을 이유로 해고한 것으로 인정되는 경우에는 부당노동행위라고 보아야 할 것이고, 근로자의 노동조합업무를 위한 정당한 행위를 실질적인 해고이유로 한 것인지의 여부는 사용자측이 내세우는 해고사유와 근로자가 한 노동조합의 업무를 위한 정당한 행위의 내용, 징계해고를 한 시기, 사용자와 노동조합과의 관계, 기타 부당노동행위 의사의 존재를 추정할 수 있는 제반사정을 비교 검토하여 종합적으로 판단하여야 한다.

나. 회사가 근로자를 징계해고함에 있어 다른 사원을 폭행하고, 야간작업을 방해하였으며 상사의 작업지시를 불이행하고 회사측의 승낙없이 지게차의 발을 제작한 잘못이 있다는 등 모두 발생한지 4 내지 8개월이 지난 사실들을 문제삼아 징계해고사유로 하였으나 실제는 이를 핑계삼아 임금협상시 강경한 입장을 취한 근로자의 노동조합활동을 혐오하여 부당해고하였다고 본 사례.

【참조조문】

노동조합법 제39조 제1호

【참조판례】

대법원 1989.10.24. 선고 89누4659 판결(공1989,1812), 1990.8.10. 선고 89누8217 판결(공1990,1967), 1991 2.22. 선고 90누6132 판결(공1991,1095)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,690자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 상고인】 바칠라캐빈주식회사 (소송대리인 변호사 이재후 외 1인)

【피고, 피상고인】 중앙노동위원회위원장

【원심판결】 서울고등법원 1990.8.23. 선고 89구11888 판결

【주 문】

상고를 기각한다.

상고비용은 원고의 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 상고이유를 본다.

제1점에 대하여

원심판결이유를 기록에 비추어 보면 원심의 사실인정을 수긍할 수 있고, 거기에 증거 없이 사실을 인정하거나 채증법칙을 어긴 위법이 있다고 할 수 없다.

기록을 살펴보면 을 제13호증의 2,3과 을 제14호증 그리고 원심증인 변화용의 증언 등 원심이 들고 있는 증거들을 종합하여 보면 소외인 이 원고 회사의 노동조합원으로서 1989년도 임금인상에 관한 단체교섭에 있어 노동조합측 교섭자로서 비교적 강경한 입장을 취하였다는 사실을 인정하기에 부족함이 있다고 할 수 없고, 따라서 원심이 이 부분 사실을 증거 없이 인정하였다고 할 수 없다. 논지는 이유가 없다.

제2점에 대하여

사실관계가 원심이 인정한 바와 같다면, 원고 회사가 소외인을 징계해고한 것은 그의 노동조합활동을 혐오하여 원심이 인정한 바와 같은 소외인의 잘못을 핑계 삼아 한 것으로서 노동조합법 제39조 제1호에 규정된 부당노동행위에 해당한다는 원심의 설시이유도 수긍할 수 있고, 그 과정에서 증거 없이 사실을 인정하였거나 이유불비의 위법이 있다고 할 수 없다. 따라서 논지도 이유없다.

제3점에 대하여

사용자의 근로자에 대한 해고가 부당노동행위인지의 여부는 그 해고가 실질적으로 노동조합법 제39조 소정의 사유에 해당하는 것인지의 여부에 의하여 판단하여야 할 것이므로, 사용자가 근로자를 해고함에 있어서 표면상의 해고이유와는 달리 실질적으로는 근로자가 노동조합업무를 위한 정당한 행위를 한 것을 이유로 해고한 것으로 인정되는 경우에는 부당노동행위라고 보아야 할 것이고, 근로자의 노동조합업무를 위한 정당한 행위를 실질적인 해고이유로 한 것인지의 여부는 사용자측이 내세우는 해고사유와 근로자가 한 노동조합의 업무를 위한 정당한 행위의 내용, 징계해고를 한 시기, 사용자와 노동조합과의 관계, 기타 부당노동행위 의사의 존재를 추정할 수 있는 제반사정을 비교 검토하여 종합적으로 판단하여야 하는 것이다 ( 당원 1990.8.10. 선고 89누8217 판결; 1991.2.22. 선고 90누6132 판결 각 참조).

그러므로 원심이 소외인에게도 다른 사원을 폭행하고, 야간작업을 방해하였으며 상사의 작업지시를 불이행하고 원고 회사측의 승낙 없이 지게차의 발을 제작한 잘못이 있기는 하나, 소외인이 1989년도 임금협상시 강경한 입장을 취한 점, 원고 회사 사장의 쟁의행위시의 언동, 소외인에 대한 징계해고사유는 모두 발생한지 4 내지 8개월이 지나서 문제삼은 점등에 비추어, 소외인의 이와 같은 징계사유가 위 해고의 결정적 동기가 된 것이 아니라 소외인의 노동조합활동을 혐오하여 위와 같은 소외인의 잘못을 핑계 삼아 해고하였다고 본 것이 위법하다고 할 수 없다.

소론의 판례는 이 사건에 적절하지 아니하다.

논지도 이유 없다.

그러므로 상고를 기각하고, 상고비용은 패소자의 부담으로 하여 관여법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 이회창(재판장) 이재성 배만운 김석수

Related statutes

Similar cases

Cases with high content similarity to this one.

#1
91누9572 · 대법원 1992-02-28
Revocation of Reexamination Decision on Remedy for Unfair La
#2
89누4659 · 대법원 1989-10-24
Revocation of Retrial Decision on Unfair Labor Practice Reme
#3
90누2116 · 대법원 1990-12-26
Revocation of Retrial Decision on Unfair Labor Practice Reme
#4
94누3940 · 대법원 1994-08-26
부당노동행위인정명령취소
#5
93누4595 · 대법원 1993-12-10
Revocation of Reexamination Decision on Unfair Labor Practic

Cases citing this decision

2007도6861 · 대법원 2008-01-24
근로기준법위반·노동조합및노동관계조정법위반
95누6151 · 대법원 1996-04-23
Revocation of Retrial Decision on Remedy for Unfair Labor Pr
94누5496 · 대법원 1995-03-14
Revocation of Retrial Decision on Unfair Labor Practice Reme
94누3940 · 대법원 1994-08-26
부당노동행위인정명령취소
93누4595 · 대법원 1993-12-10
Revocation of Reexamination Decision on Unfair Labor Practic

Related tools & guides

AI answers need an account (free accounts: 2 per month) — submit and you'll return to this question after logging in. Search and case reading stay free.

Cross-check the original: 국가법령정보센터 (auxiliary link)