- Hyundai has reportedly reached a deal with workers in Korea.
- Move comes after a full one-day strike as well as shorter two-hour strikes.
- Laborers will receive a higher base salary as well as improved benefits.
Following a one-day strike, Hyundai has reportedly reached a tentative agreement with union members in Korea. This comes after weeks of unrest that has reportedly impacted the production of over 55,000 vehicles.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, the monthly base salary will climb by ₩100,000 ($72.33) under the deal. Employees will also receive a performance bonus and 15 shares of stock. Other highlights include an additional ₩200,000 ($144.64) summer vacation allowance as well as ₩500,000 ($361.61) in “welfare points.”
More: Hyundai Workers Go On Strike For The First Time In A Decade And Robots Are Partly To Blame
The publication also implied the mandatory retirement age will be increased. It remains unclear what the new number is, but it was previously set at 60.
We can expect to learn more in the coming days, but Hyundai will reportedly increase hiring as well. 200 new production jobs are slated to open in 2027, and they’ll be joined by 300 more the following year.
While workers recently held their first full strike in a decade, Hyundai has been hit by a series of smaller two-hour strikes. The publication says employees ended up striking for a total of 60 hours, but this ended up shutting down production lines for 120 hours due to timing.
The use of robots also played a role in the strikes as the automaker previously announced plans to start using Atlas robots at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in 2028. It will initially support parts sequencing tasks, but the company believes robots will be able to perform component assembly by 2030.
This has raised fears that robots could end up replacing human workers in a bid to cut costs. Hyundai appears to have alleviated some of these concerns as they promised to “transparently share the progress of new businesses and technologies in the future.”
