GM Korea union workers have launched a partial strike at the three vehicle assembly plants to demand higher wages, the company announced.
A GM spokesman told local reporters assembly workers had downed tools at its two plants in Bupyeong, near Seoul, and at its Changwon factory on the south coast.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The plants have combined annual production capacity of 630,000 vehicles while global sales declined by 7% to 154,783 units in the first half of 2021.
The strike follows a reported 13 rounds of wage negotiations since May with the two parties so far failing to reach a compromise.
The union is demanding a KRW99,000 (US$86) increase in the basic monthly wage plus KRW8,690m in performance-related pay and bonuses per worker.
It also insisted on being told about future vehicle production plans for the plants.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataGM Korea has so far offered a basic pay increase of KRW26,000 and KRW4m respectively. The company also said it was unable to share its production plans.
Meanwhile, Hyundai said it had reached a tentative agreement with unions for a KRW75,000 monthly basic pay rise, an annual bonus worth two months’ salary and KRW5.8m in performance benefits.
