In another court judgment in favor of workers under pro-labor government of Moon Jae-in, a court in Seoul Tuesday denied Paris Baguette, the nation’s leading bakery and patisserie brand of SPC Group, its request for an injunction against a government order to directly hire more than 5,300 outsourced bakers and shop staff instead of using agency workers.

The court said it cannot stop the order because it was “administrative guideline” without binding force.

Paris Baguette running over 3,000 franchise stores across the nation has until Dec. 5 to find replacement for 5,378 agency workers or must pay fine of up to 53 billion won ($47 million).

The Ministry of Labor and Employment in September issued disciplinary order to Paris Baguette for violating the franchise act by giving direct orders to store staff although they are not legally their employees. Paris Baguette gets trained workforce from contract agencies to staff franchise shops.

The bakery franchise will appeal against the fine and order, claiming that it cannot hire all agency workers as there are already 5,200 on its own payroll.

By Lee Duk-joo and Choi Mira

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