(LEAD) POSCO workers stage 2nd partial strike over wage demands

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at South Korean steelmaker POSCO initiated a second partial strike on Wednesday, following their inability to reach an agreement with management on wage negotiations. The 120-hour walkout commenced at 7 a.m. at POSCO's steel plants in Pohang and Gwangyang, southern South Korea, according to the union.

Union spokesperson Yi Jae-hyuk informed reporters by phone that the strike would be called off by the end of the five-day action, contingent upon the company presenting an acceptable proposal. POSCO, which employs approximately 17,000 individuals, including around 10,100 union members, has not disclosed any expected disruptions in plant operations.

Despite the second strike involving roughly twice as many workers as the first, which lasted 48 hours last Wednesday, management asserts minimal impact on plant operations, with about 60 workers from each plant scheduled to participate.