Hyundai Motor Union to Launch First Full-Scale Strike in 10 Years as Labor Dispute Escalates
The labor union representing Hyundai Motor workers is set to launch its first full-scale strike in a decade, escalating a long-running dispute over wages, retirement age and employment conditions.Hyundai Motor and its union held their 16th round of wage negotiations at the company’s Ulsan plant on A
Hyundai Motor's labor union is set to launch its first full-scale strike in ten years, escalating an ongoing dispute over wages, retirement age, and employment conditions. The union and Hyundai Motor failed to agree during their 16th round of wage talks held at Hyundai's Ulsan plant on August 18, and resumed negotiations after a 41-day break without reaching a resolution.
The union plans to conduct a series of strikes, including four-hour partial strikes on August 19 and 20, followed by an eight-hour full-scale strike on August 21. Additional four-hour strikes are scheduled for August 24 and 25. A protest at Hyundai Motor Group's headquarters in Seoul is also planned for August 21.
The main points of contention include extending the retirement age to 65, increasing annual bonuses, and reinstating dismissed union members. The union demands that the current retirement age of 60 be gradually increased, while Hyundai Motor believes this issue should be resolved through changes in national law. The company has also offered to discuss reinstating former union members later in the year rather than immediately.
This dispute comes at a crucial time for Hyundai Motor, which is striving to boost production and sales of new, higher-value vehicles amid international trade and automotive market uncertainties. The automaker has already suffered production losses of over 40,000 vehicles and sales losses exceeding 1 trillion won due to earlier partial strikes and overtime refusals.
Further strikes could exacerbate these challenges, particularly impacting newly launched models that require stable production volumes during their initial market stages.
The dispute has evolved into a more complex labor issue, with retirement age, job security, and the reinstatement of dismissed workers emerging as significant structural concerns between labor and management. The strike's duration will play a critical role in determining its impact. If negotiations lead to revised proposals, the dispute could be contained. However, a prolonged deadlock could lead to further production disruptions, potentially increasing financial burdens on Hyundai Motor and its suppliers.
Written by urgent.news from Korea IT Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
