Hyundai Motor's South Korean union staged its first full strike in a decade on Friday (August 21) after wage talks stalled, as it seeks a higher retirement age and job protections against artificial intelligence and automation.
Striking workers from Hyundai Motor, affiliate Kia Corp and suppliers held a rally outside Hyundai Motor's headquarters in Seoul, wearing red headbands and chanting demands that included allowing parts suppliers to have direct wage talks with automakers and increasing the retirement age from the current 60.
"The key figures who made Hyundai and Kia the world's strongest company for 35 or 40 years are now being pushed into contract positions," Hyundai union leader Lee Jong-cheol said from a stage at the rally.
About 40,000 Hyundai Motor union members are expected to join the walkout on Friday, while around 1,200 to 1,300 union members are set to attend the Seoul rally, a union official said earlier on Friday.
Members of other unions and those affiliated with the umbrella union were also seen joining, bringing the total expected attendance at the rally in the capital to about 3,000, the official added.
The one-day strike illustrates growing labour unrest in South Korea following the election of pro-labour liberal President Lee Jae Myung last year.
It follows a series of partial walkouts since late July that have disrupted production of 55,200 vehicles worth over 2.3 trillion won ($1.67 billion), according to Yonhap News Agency estimates.
POSTED BY: AAngeles/NET25 News
