Korea GM Union Holds Vote on Wage and Collective Bargaining Agreement... Attention on Approval Outcome

From Today Until Tomorrow, Over Two Days

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Korean GM labor union, which has conducted 24 rounds of negotiations and strikes, is set to hold a member vote on the tentative agreement for the 2020 wage and collective bargaining (wage and collective agreement). If the tentative agreement passes the union member vote, Korean GM management and labor will conclude negotiations after 133 days. However, it is reported that resistance remains strong within the union's field organization, making it difficult to easily predict the likelihood of approval. The outcome of this vote could also influence strike sentiments at other companies such as Kia Motors and Renault Samsung Motors, drawing significant attention from the industry.

According to the automotive industry on the 30th, the Korean GM union will conduct a member vote on the tentative wage and collective agreement from today until December 1. On the 30th, voting will take place from 7:40 PM for the late shift workers, and on December 1, from 11:00 AM for the early shift workers. The voting results are expected to be announced after 2:00 PM on December 1.

Earlier, after the first meeting on July 22, the management and labor announced a tentative agreement on the 25th, about four months later, which includes a total payment of 4 million KRW per union member as performance bonuses and encouragement money. The agreement also includes the management's plan to start an investment of 19 million USD (2.1 billion KRW) from next year at the Incheon Bupyeong 1 plant and others. However, the proposal to change the wage negotiation cycle from one year to two years, which was a major point of contention between labor and management, was excluded.

Since the first meeting on July 22, Korean GM management and labor have held a total of 24 negotiation sessions until the tentative agreement was reached. However, due to difficulties in negotiations, the union has continued partial strikes for 15 days from the 30th of last month until today. Additionally, overtime and special work refusals have been ongoing since November 23.

Although the agreement was reached after much difficulty, its approval remains uncertain. Within the union's field organization, newsletters containing messages such as "Kazem won. Strong rejection by union members!" are being circulated, opposing the agreement. If this vote is rejected, the strike is likely to be prolonged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.