Hyundai Motor Union Begins Strikes in South Korea Over Pay and Hours

Industry Insights from Next Move Strategy Consulting

The union representing South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor has announced plans for partial strikes at its plants nationwide over three days this week, demanding reduced working hours and increased wages, according to a notice issued to its members.

Hyundai Motor’s Korean Union Plans Partial Strikes Across Key Plants

Hyundai Motor’s Korean union, representing approximately 40,000 members, will carry out partial strikes at multiple plants, including those in Ulsan, Jeonju, and Asan, according to the notice. Workers are scheduled to stop work for two hours on Wednesday and Thursday, and for four hours on Friday.

The move to initiate industrial action follows a vote on August 25 in which the majority of union members endorsed the plan.

Hyundai Union Demands Higher Bonuses, Extended Retirement, and Shorter Work Week

The union has demanded that management provide a 30% bonus based on Hyundai’s 2024 net income, a year when the company posted record revenue driven by growth in the U.S. It is also calling for the retirement age to be raised from the legal minimum of 60 to 64, and for the introduction of a 4.5-day work week, according to a union spokesperson.

Back in 2003, Hyundai’s union was among the first in South Korea to strike a deal with management for a five-day work week, at a time when most employees still worked half days on Saturdays.

Hyundai Union Maintains Cautious Strike History Amid Wage Talks

Hyundai’s union, one of South Korea’s largest and most powerful labor groups, has not carried out a full strike over wage talks in seven years. In December 2024, unionized workers held a two-day partial strike to protest former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law declaration. A Hyundai Motor spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

Conclusion

The Hyundai Motor union’s latest strike underscores the growing tensions within the South Korea automotive sector, as workers push for better pay, reduced hours, and improved retirement conditions while management faces mounting pressure to balance labor demands with global competitiveness.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/

Prepared by: Next Move Strategy Consulting