Overview
- The Hyundai Motor labour union began a three-day partial strike on Monday that stops work two hours at the end of each day and night shift, creating up to four hours of lost production per day through July 15.
- The union is demanding a 149,600 won monthly base-pay increase, a profit-linked performance bonus equal to roughly 30 percent of net profit, an 800 percent bonus figure, an extended retirement age, and reinstatement of dismissed workers.
- Hyundai management has offered roughly an 80,000–89,000 won monthly raise, a performance bonus equal to about 350 percent of monthly pay, 10 million won in cash and 15 company shares, which the union rejected.
- Industry watchers estimate the stoppages could disrupt roughly 5,000 vehicles and cost more than 200 billion won in sales; informal talks continue during the walkout and the union will decide on further action after July 15.
- The dispute is shaped by worker concern over planned deployment of humanoid robots and by larger bonuses paid in other Korean firms, a dynamic that is increasing pressure across automakers and complicating management’s ability to meet pay demands.