Hyundai Motor Union to Escalate Strike: Partial Walkouts Extended from 4 to 6 Hours

4-Hour Strikes on August 12-13
6-Hour Strikes Planned for August 14 and 18

As Hyundai Motor Company and its labor union continue to face difficulties in this year's wage negotiations, the union has decided to intensify its strike actions.

On the morning of the 29th of last month, morning shift workers at the Hyundai Motor Ulsan Plant's Myeongchon Main Gate in Buk-gu, Ulsan, left work early due to a partial strike. The Hyundai Motor Union will strike for 4 hours each day from this day until the 31st, lasting three days. Yonhap News Agency

On August 11, around 2 p.m., the Hyundai Motor labor union convened a Central Strike Special Committee meeting to discuss the level of actions for this week. The committee decided to hold 4-hour partial strikes on August 12 and 13, and to stage 6-hour partial strikes on August 14 and 18.

The union had previously escalated its actions by holding 2-hour partial strikes per day from July 13 to 15, followed by 4-hour strikes per day from July 20 to 22 and from July 29 to 31. The union plans to gradually extend the duration of partial strikes in anticipation of a prolonged dispute.

The management at Hyundai Motor Company is refusing to participate in the main wage negotiations, arguing that the union is making the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the extension of the retirement age—issues unrelated to wage talks—among its negotiation conditions.

Losses caused by the partial strikes are now becoming visible. According to Hyundai Motor Company, production losses from the three rounds of strikes have reached 42,510 vehicles. In addition, each employee is estimated to have lost KRW 1.92 million in wages and KRW 14.01 million in retirement benefits.

The union plans to hold another Central Strike Special Committee meeting on August 18 to discuss its next course of action and the intensity of future strikes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.