SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - As unionized workers at Hyundai Motor began a full-scale strike for the first time in 10 years on Friday, workers at its affiliate Kia also decided to go on strike next week, according to industry sources.
Kia's union voted to stage a three-day partial strike from Aug. 26 to 28, with workers planning to stop work for two to four hours each day. But it remains to be seen, as the union is set to hold another round of talks before doing so.
If the strike goes ahead as planned, it would end the automaker's five-year streak of reaching wage agreements without labor disputes since 2021.
The strike plan came after a dozen rounds of negotiations, with management offering a 98,000-won increase in base pay, a bonus of 400 percent plus 12 million won, and a 200,000-won increase in long-service incentives earlier this week.
But the proposal may not be enough for unionized workers, who had demanded a 149,600-won increase in base pay, a performance bonus equal to 30 percent of last year's operating profit, a four-and-a-half-day workweek and a raise in the retirement age to 65.
AJP Takeaways
• Kia's union voted to hold a three-day partial strike from Aug. 26 to 28, 2026, with workers planning to stop work for two to four hours each day.
• The Kia strike has not been finalized, as the union plans to hold another round of talks with members before deciding whether to proceed.
• A strike would end Kia's five-year streak of wage agreements without labor disputes, which began in 2021.
• Kia management offered a 98,000-won base-pay increase, a bonus of 400 percent plus 12 million won, and a 200,000-won increase in long-service incentives after 12 rounds of negotiations.
• Kia's union demanded higher pay and broader workplace changes, including a 149,600-won base-pay increase, a performance bonus equal to 30 percent of 2025 operating profit, a four-and-a-half-day workweek and raising the retirement age to 65.
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