Hyundai and GM Korea autoworkers vote to strike
Autoworkers in South Korea voted this past week by large margins to strike as they fight to improve working conditions following a series of wage freezes in the industry last year imposed by the unions and the companies. On July 7, workers at Hyundai Motors, the country’s largest auto manufacturer, approved a walk-out, which followed a similar vote two days earlier by GM Korea workers.
GM Korea workers rally against the US carmaker’s plan to close the plant in Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
At Hyundai, 74 percent of the 48,599 union members belonging to the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU) voted to strike. They are demanding a 99,000 won ($US87) increase in the base monthly pay, 30 percent of Hyundai’s annual profits to be paid as bonuses, and an extension of the retirement age from 60 to 64 as workers are not eligible for the national pension until 65.