The employees of South Korea’s largest automobile manufacturer are demanding an increase in their performance bonuses and wages.Image: www.imago-images.de
Workers at car manufacturer Hyundai Motors in South Korea began a three-day nationwide partial strike on Monday. Negotiations had previously failed, particularly regarding wage increases.
July 13, 2026, 10:58July 13, 2026, 10:58
According to the company’s largest union, almost 40,000 employees will take part in the campaign. Work should be stopped for four hours every day until Wednesday. The union announced that it would decide on a possible continuation of the action on Wednesday.
Higher wages demanded
The employees of South Korea’s largest automobile manufacturer are demanding an increase in their performance bonuses and wages. They also want to increase their retirement age so that they can receive their wages for longer. Negotiations between the unions and management have been ongoing since May, but failed again on July 8th.
In a statement to employees at a factory in Ulsan, Hyundai CEO Choi Yeong-il expressed his “deep regret” about the strike, “just at a time when we should be trying to improve our results thanks to the introduction of new models in the second half of the year,” Yonhap Agency reported.
Fear of job losses
The action comes amid growing concerns about job security in the industry, given advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. Hyundai plans to use humanoid robots in its US factories from 2028.
The company has not yet announced plans to use these robots in its South Korean factories. But several experts believe that this is only a matter of time. (sda/awp/afp)