The Hyundai Motor union has resumed negotiations with management after an unprecedented strike in South Korea, the largest in ten years. Employees are demanding, among other things, a monthly raise of 149,000 won (approximately €92) and a 50% increase in performance bonuses. Union representatives also want to raise the retirement age by two years to allow employees to maintain their current salary levels for longer. Hyundai Motor, however, believes it cannot accept the demands in their current form.
An estimated bill of 1,37 billion euros
Employees have walked out for a total of 60 hours since the beginning of the year. According to calculations by the South Korean news agency Newsis, these work stoppages have already cost the automaker approximately €1,37 billion. Nearly 40,000 people, including office workers, reportedly participated in Friday's protest. Further four-hour walkouts were planned for Monday and Tuesday, but Monday's was suspended to allow for negotiations.
Artificial intelligence worries employees
The union will decide whether to maintain the partial strike planned for Tuesday based on the outcome of negotiations. Beyond wage demands, employees are expressing concern about job security in the face of rapid advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. Hyundai recently unveiled a humanoid robot slated for deployment in its American factories starting in 2028. The automaker has not announced a comparable project in South Korea. Management and the union maintain that the current dispute is not directly related to this robot, but its development is fueling questions about the future of industrial employment.
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