GM Korea union begins a two-day strike over wages

Unionized workers at GM Korea on Tuesday entered a two-day partial strike, demanding higher wages.

GM Korea workers held a four-hour strike on Tuesday and plan to stage another four-hour walkout on Wednesday, GM union spokesman Dang Sung-geun said over the phone.

“Union leaders will hold a meeting on Thursday to decide on whether to enter another round of strikes,” he said.

GM Korea and its union have held seven rounds of talks since July 9 over wages for the year of 2019. The union demanded a 5.7 percent hike in basic salary, performance-based bonuses worth two and a half months of wages and a cash bonus worth 6.5 million won ($5,400) per worker, which was rejected by the company.

“At the outset of wage negotiations, the company explained that it is difficult to accept the union’s requests for a salary increase and the payment of performance bonuses due to the unfavorable business environment both internally and externally and the fact that the company has not yet returned to profitability,” the company said in a statement.

The 10,000-member union also asked the company to present its long-term plan for the operation of the No. 2 Bupyeong plant in Incheon.

Yonhap