BR Korea, which operates Dunkin’ Donuts, has asked the police to probe a video footage that accuses the firm of poor sanitary conditions. The company suspects that a union leader faked the situation. Photo courtesy of BR Korea

BR Korea questions authenticity of whistle blower's video footage

BR Korea, which runs Dunkin’ Donuts in South Korea, asked the police late this week to investigate video footage, which showed its unsanitary factory south of Seoul.

The company hinted that an employee faked the situation in its Anyang factory to film a video, which a local broadcaster aired midway through this week.

The video showed a ventilation hood with oil stains. Dough beneath the ventilator showed orange-colored droplets suspected of falling from the hood.

BR Korea said that its surveillance footage on July 28 showed a worker deliberately hitting the fryer to make droplets fall on the dough and filmed the scene with a pen camera.

The company said that the worker at issue is its union leader, surnamed Cho. Cho was alone in the video, and he was not supposed to work at the production line at the time, according to BR Korea.

BR Korea’s union belongs to the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU). The umbrella union has faced conflicts with BR Korea’s sister firm Paris Baguette.

Truckers unionized under the confederation have been on strike since September, which prompted Paris Baguette to employ substitute drivers so as to properly supply ingredients to some 3,400 Paris Baguette bakeries.

Against this backdrop, a fuel supply line of a substitute driver’s truck was cut deliberately in a highway service area midway through last month.

There are suspicions that KCTU-affiliated truckers might have something to do with the case, although the KCTU and its subsidiary organization deny the accusation.

“We’ve asked the police to investigate the video. If the employee in the footage tried to fake the situation, the video’s authenticity will be questioned,” a BR Korea representative said.

Comments from the union were not available.

Cho told a local newspaper that he will not respond to the claims of BR Korea because they do not make sense.

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