Hyundai Heavy Industries Group's Three Shipbuilding Unions Gather in Pangyo on the 30th... 7-Hour Partial Strike

Indefinite Joint Full Strike Scheduled for the 13th of Next Month

Union members staging a tent sit-in at GRC in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Hyundai Heavy Industries Union

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] The labor unions of the three shipbuilding companies under Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, which have been struggling with wage and collective bargaining negotiations this year, will launch a large-scale general strike next month following a partial strike this month.

According to industry sources on the 28th, the unions of Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries will begin a 7-hour strike involving all union members in front of the Global R&D Center (GRC) in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on the 30th of this month.

The unions stated, "The tent sit-in in front of the Pangyo GRC, where executives from the three shipbuilding companies participate, serves as a base for propaganda activities using branch video vehicles in major areas of Seoul," adding, "This tent sit-in will continue until the 30th of this month, when all union members head to Pangyo for the 7-hour strike."

They plan to conduct a joint 4-hour strike by the three companies on the 6th of next month, a 7-hour rotating strike on the 7th, and then launch an indefinite joint full-scale general strike starting from the 13th. This will be the first time the unions of the three Hyundai Heavy Industries Group shipbuilding companies conduct a joint strike on the same day.

Last July, the labor unions of the three shipbuilding companies under Hyundai Heavy Industries Group (Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, and Samho Heavy Industries) held a rally in front of the Hyundai headquarters building in Gyedong, Seoul, demanding joint negotiations with management for this year's wages and collective agreements. Photo by Hyundai Heavy Industries Union

The labor and management of Hyundai Heavy Industries have held 30 rounds of negotiations this year, while Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries have held about 20 rounds each, but no agreement has been reached.

The unions of the three companies demanded in this year's negotiations: ▲ a basic wage increase of 142,300 KRW (excluding seniority increments) ▲ abolition of the wage peak system ▲ introduction of labor director system with union recommendation rights ▲ realistic support for education expenses ▲ contribution of 1 billion KRW to the social solidarity fund ▲ expansion of welfare benefits within the group companies.

Hyundai Heavy Industries presented a wage and collective bargaining proposal for the first time at the 33rd round of negotiations, but the union reportedly rejected it. The company stated in an internal newsletter, "We proposed the highest level in the industry to conclude this year's wage and collective bargaining negotiations without extending into the next year."

At the 33rd negotiation held on the 25th, Hyundai Heavy Industries first proposed to the union an increase of 80,000 KRW in the basic wage (including seniority increments), a 3 million KRW encouragement bonus, and performance bonuses. The proposal also included a maximum 2-year fixed-term employment after retirement for production technology workers, expanded medical benefits, and housing purchase loan benefits.

Regarding this, a Hyundai Heavy Industries union official said, "Since the proposal did not meet the expectations of the union members, we have requested the company to submit additional proposals," adding, "Starting with the joint rally of the three companies in front of the Pangyo GRC on the 30th of this month, we plan to gradually escalate the level of strikes."

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