Kia's New Union Branch Chief Hong Jin-seong Elected with Promise to Implement 'Full Salary System'

Hyundai Motor and Korea GM New Union Branch Chiefs-Elect Also Pledge 'Monthly Salary System'
Maximum Performance Bonus and Allowance 800%, Increased Return and Vacation Expenses

A confirmed case of COVID-19 occurred at Kia Motors' Gwangmyeong Sohari Plant, leading to a temporary suspension of factory operations. As of midnight on the 17th, Gyeonggi Province health authorities reported 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases related to the Kia Sohari Plant. The photo shows the main gate of the Sohari Plant on that day. / Gwangmyeong - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Following the establishment of a strong labor union at Hyundai Motor Company, a strong candidate was also elected as the new union branch chief at Kia.

According to the Kia union on the 25th, the results of the second round (runoff) vote counting for the 27th executive (branch chief) election of the Kia Motors branch under the Metal Workers' Union, held the previous day, showed that candidate Hong Jin-seong was elected.

In this runoff vote, in which 26,283 out of 28,695 total union members (voter turnout 91.6%) participated, Hong received 13,874 votes (52.8%), defeating candidate Yoon Min-hee, number 3 on the ballot, who received 11,770 votes (44.8%), and was elected as the next branch chief.

In the first round of voting held on the 17th, Hong was also in first place with 35.4% of the votes, narrowly ahead of Yoon, who pledged a 7+7 work schedule and received 34.8%. In this runoff, it appears that the votes that supported Jang Soo-kwang, a moderate candidate who failed to advance to the runoff (with 27.6% of the vote), shifted toward Hong.

The new branch chief’s term will begin on January 1 next year and last for two years. Hong, who joined Kia Motors in 2000, is considered a hardliner even within the Kia union. In 2006, he was imprisoned for six months after leading protests against the relocation of a U.S. military base and was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year probation. Since then, he has served as a delegate to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, a central committee member of the Metal Workers' Union, and a delegate and executive committee member of the Kia Motors branch.

Hong promised to push management to eliminate discrimination in model and new car allocation between Hyundai Motor and Kia regarding major production and employment at Kia. He also pledged to advocate for the completion of the Sohari plant as an exclusive eco-friendly vehicle factory, to transform the Gwangju plant into a production base for hydrogen and multi-purpose vehicles, and to develop the Hwaseong plant as Kia’s main factory. Additionally, he promised to protect sales employees’ jobs by blocking the industry’s recent trend of ‘online vehicle sales.’

Regarding employee welfare, he said he would demand from management a maximum performance bonus, an increase in bonuses to 800%, an increase in homecoming transportation allowance from 800,000 KRW to 1.5 million KRW, and an increase in vacation allowance from 300,000 KRW to 1 million KRW. In particular, he pledged to restore and expand overseas training, trips for long-term employees and retirees, and overseas volunteer opportunities for employees’ children.

Hong especially stated that he would work to shift the existing hourly wage system to a ‘full monthly salary system.’ An Hyun-ho, the newly elected Hyundai Motor union chief, and Kim Jun-oh, the newly elected Korean GM branch chief, have also pledged to introduce a monthly salary system and change the wage structure, making this a key issue in the upcoming summer labor union solidarity struggles among automakers.

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