SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Motor workers on second round of strikes

Record ID: 340842

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Motor workers on second round of strikes
  • Date: 20th July 2012
  • Summary: ASAN, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 20, 2012) (REUTERS) HYUNDAI UNION WORKERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF PLANT VARIOUS OF WORKERS BREAKING UP BIG ICE SCULPTURES ATTACHED WITH PAPERS READING UNION'S DEMANDS VARIOUS OF WORKERS CHANTING VARIOUS OF RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) HYUNDAI UNION WORKER PARK CHANG-SIG SAYING: "Our Metal Workers Union has four demands, which include abolishing the temp
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Business,Industry,Employment
  • Reuters ID: LVA86X4TB7IX8BUSBM430KYBHOH7
  • Story Text: Hundreds of workers from South Korea's Hyundai Motor rallied in Asan on Friday (July 20) as their union decided to go on a second round of partial strikes, demanding better labour conditions.
    Around 45,000 workers of Hyundai Motor, who are part of the Metal Workers Union, staged the second partial walkout at various plants in the country.
    The union says the company has not accepted their demands.
    "Our Metal Workers Union has four demands, which include abolishing the temporary workers' system. Even though the Supreme Court's ruling is demanding Hyundai to abolish the system, the company hasn't implemented it. We're here to urge the company to implement the ruling," said Park Chang-sig, regional head of Metal Union's Hyundai branch.
    Friday's work stoppage was set to run for four hours, similar to the first round of strikes on July 13.
    Around 400 workers rallied at the Hyundai plant in Asan, south of Seoul, chanting slogans, such as "Abolish temporary workers' system! Abolish the night-time shift system!"
    The union said temporary workers, with the same workload as regular employees, do not receive the same salary and benefits, and do not receive adequate insurance.
    The Metal Workers' Union is also proposing overnight work to be scrapped, raising concerns among carmakers about production losses.
    The total eight-hour stoppage will cost the car company an estimated 8,630 vehicles in lost production worth an estimated 170 billion Korean won ($149.09-million), according to the company.
    Carmakers usually make up production loss with extra work, but a prolonged strike could impact sales of the world's fifth-biggest automaker along with its affiliate Kia Motors, at a time when its inventory is low, analysts say.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register