Seoul– Hyundai Motor workers will stage additional partial strikes this week after the automaker and its labor union failed to reach an agreement in ongoing wage negotiations.
The union said workers will hold four-hour strikes Wednesday and Thursday, followed by an eight-hour strike Friday. It also plans four-hour partial strikes next Monday and Tuesday.
Union members have staged a combined 44 hours of partial strikes since wage negotiations began.
The latest action follows the 16th round of talks between management and the union, with the two sides still divided over pay and bonuses.
The union, which represents about 40,000 workers, is seeking a monthly base salary increase of 149,600 won, or about $106, along with a performance bonus equal to 30 percent of Hyundai Motor’s net profit from last year.
Hyundai Motor has offered an 80,000-won increase in monthly base pay, a performance bonus equal to 350 percent of monthly salary plus 10 million won, and 15 shares of company stock.
The labor dispute comes as Hyundai Motor faces declining global sales. Earlier this month, the automaker said worldwide sales fell 5.1 percent from a year earlier in July to 318,454 vehicles.
Overseas sales declined 3.2 percent to 270,341 vehicles, while domestic sales dropped 14.4 percent to 48,113 units.
July marked the company’s 10th consecutive month of declining global sales.
Hyundai Motor attributed the weaker performance in part to production disruptions caused by partial strikes in July, as well as customers delaying purchases ahead of the introduction of new models. (Source: IANS)
