Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday its unionized workers have warned of a partial strike this week to demand higher wages after signing wage deals in the past four years without industrial actions, the company said Monday.
Hyundai Motor workers will hold an eight-hour strike a day from Wednesday to Thursday to make their demands heard in this year's wage negotiations, a company spokesman said over the phone.
The union spokesman could not be reached for comments.
"The company and the union are having negotiations over wages and other conditions today and the talks will continue tomorrow," the spokesman said.
The company proposed an increase of 106,000 won (US$80) in basic pay, 3 1/2 months of performance-based pay and a cash bonus of 8.5 million won per person.
But the 44,000-strong union demanded an increase of 184,900 won in basic salary, 30 percent of the company's net income last year, nine months of salaries in bonuses for its members, and the extension of retirement age from 60 to 64.
On July 12, Hyundai workers held a four-hour strike in protest against the "anti-union" Yoon Suk Yeol government under the guidelines of the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU).
The KMWU has been calling on the Yoon government to stop union repression and for the president to step down.
Hyundai Motor is a core member of the KMWU, which is part of the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
Hyundai has seven domestic plants in Korea and 11 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India, Brazil and Indonesia. Their combined capacity reaches 5.65 million vehicles.
Source: Yonhap News Agency