Kia Motors Labor and Management Fail Main Negotiations... Union to Resume 'Partial Strike' Starting Today

by Sung Kiho

Published 09 Dec.2020 06:03(KST)

Updated 03 Mar.2023 15:31(KST)

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[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seong Giho] The Kia Motors labor union is entering a partial strike again. This is because no agreement was reached in the additional main negotiations on wages and collective agreements with the management. The union's next strike countermeasure committee meeting is scheduled for the 11th.

According to the automotive industry on the 9th, the 15th main negotiation between Kia Motors labor and management, which started on the 7th, finally broke down around midnight on this day.

As no conclusion was reached in the main negotiation, the union decided to resume the partial strike as previously announced, by reducing working hours by 4 hours per day in shifts from the 9th to the 11th. The union held a strike countermeasure committee meeting on the morning of the 4th to decide on future struggle plans.

It is known that labor and management reached considerable agreement on wages and bonuses, as well as on the plan to install an electric and hydrogen vehicle module parts factory within the existing plant.

However, discussions broke down due to differences over the "restoration of 30 minutes of overtime." The union insisted on enforcing the restoration, emphasizing fairness with Hyundai Motors, but the management clearly opposed it, stating that restoring overtime effectively amounts to a real wage increase.

The union has demanded key issues including the restoration of 30 minutes of overtime, ▲ a 120,000 KRW increase in base pay, ▲ payment of 30% of last year's operating profit as performance bonus, ▲ installation of an electric and hydrogen vehicle module parts factory within the existing plant, ▲ expansion of bonus application to ordinary wages, ▲ extension of retirement age from 60 to 65, ▲ introduction of labor director system, and ▲ in-house retention of the electric and hydrogen vehicle module parts factory.