SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor have reached a wage agreement for this year, ending months of labor tensions that disrupted production at South Korea's largest automaker.
In a vote on Monday, 61.55 percent of the 31,166 union members who cast ballots voted in favor of the agreement, the union said on Tuesday. The union has about 39,000 members in total.
Under the new wage deal, workers will receive a 100,000 won (US$73) increase in monthly base pay. They will also receive performance bonuses equivalent to 400 percent of their monthly wages, as well as an additional cash payment of 12.7 million won.
The agreement also includes a commitment to hire 500 new production workers from the second half of next year through 2028 and to extend their retirement age.
The settlement follows a series of strikes by unionized workers during wage negotiations that began in May, resulting in roughly 120 hours of production disruptions including a full day strike last Monday, the union's first 24 hour walkout in a decade.
"We will focus all our efforts on production in the second half of the year and make the world's best quality products to repay our customers for their support," the automaker said.
AJP Takeaways
• Hyundai Motor unionized workers approved a 2026 wage agreement, with 61.55 percent of the 31,166 participating union members voting in favor.
• The agreement provides a 100,000 won monthly base pay increase, performance bonuses worth 400 percent of monthly wages and an additional 12.7 million won cash payment.
• The agreement ends months of labor tensions that caused roughly 120 hours of production disruptions, including a 24 hour strike that marked the Hyundai Motor union’s first full day walkout in a decade.
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