Korea GM Union Approves Strike Action with 83% in Favor Vote

Laying the Groundwork to Secure the Right to Strike

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Korean GM labor union is accelerating its efforts to secure the right to strike by passing a vote on industrial action.

According to the automotive industry on the 17th, the Korean GM union approved the strike vote that began the day before. Out of 7,622 union members, 6,329 voted in favor, recording an approval rate of 83%.

The strike vote saw participation from 6,797 of the total union members, resulting in a voter turnout of 89.2%. With the approval rate for industrial action exceeding 50% of eligible voters, the union has legally secured the right to strike.

Earlier, the union had also applied for mediation with the Central Labor Relations Commission on the 12th. If the commission decides to suspend mediation, the union will officially secure the right to strike and other industrial actions.

The Korean GM union has been demanding a fixed monthly wage increase of 142,300 KRW and a performance bonus equivalent to 400% of the regular wage (approximately 16.94 million KRW) during negotiations.

Additionally, they have presented demands including development plans for each plant such as Bupyeong Plant 1 and 2 and Changwon Plant, improvements in welfare and allowances, and the regularization of non-regular workers. They are also negotiating to attract electric vehicle production related to Bupyeong Plant 2, which is scheduled to cease operations after November this year.