Starbucks Korea staff form union after 'Tank Day' campaign fiasco

Workers at Starbucks Korea have formed a labour union, the company confirmed on Sunday, following a marketing fiasco that evoked painful memories of a 1980 government crackdown on pro-democracy activists.



Starbucks Korea, the coffee giant's third-largest market after the United States and China, sparked uproar when it ran a "Tank Day" reusable cup promotion on May 18 - the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju uprising in which 165 civilians were killed, according to the official toll.



It led to the resignation of Starbucks Korea's chief executive and the early closure of the chain's more than 2,000 stores nationwide - for staff education sessions on the historical significance of the uprising last month.



In a statement posted Thursday on the website of the Korean Federation of Chemical, Textile and Food Workers' Unions, the newly formed group said workers had decided to unionise so they could "protect" their rights and "work with sincerity and pride".