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![[Seoul=NEWSIS] Reporter Park Young-tae = On the afternoon of the 21st, Lee Jong-cheol, branch president of the Hyundai Motor Workers' Union, delivered a speech on struggle at a joint strike rally by the Metal and Machinery Workers' Union's automotive sector held in front of Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. 2026.08.21. since1999@newsis.com /Photo=Park Young-tae](https://image.starnewskorea.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=avif,w=1200/21/2026/08/2026082117082755884_1.jpg)
The Hyundai Motor union will go on a full-scale strike on the 21st, citing difficulties in wage negotiations. This marks the first such action in 10 years. With the declaration of a strike for the first time since 2016, production lines at factories nationwide, including Ulsan, Jeonju, and Asan, halted operations for one day.
The Hyundai Motor union is demanding not only wage increases but also a 50% raise in bonuses, reinstatement of dismissed members, and an extension of the retirement age to 65. The company side maintains its position that there is insufficient legal basis and that acceptance is practically difficult.
![[Seoul=NEWSIS] Reporter Park Young-tae = On the afternoon of the 21st, union members at a joint strike rally by the Metal and Machinery Workers' Union's automotive sector held in front of Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, chanted slogans after completing model cars inscribed with messages such as "seizing primary negotiations" to achieve victory in the strike. 2026.08.21. since1999@newsis.com /Photo=Park Young-tae](https://image.starnewskorea.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=avif,w=1200/21/2026/08/2026082117082755884_2.jpg)
The Kia union has also announced a partial strike starting on the 26th. Consequently, labor-management tensions across the automotive industry are rising. Because Hyundai Motor's upstream and downstream supply chains are extremely broad, the ripple effects will be significant for parts suppliers and related industries as a whole. The problem is that there are so many hurdles for both sides to overcome before reaching an agreement that it is currently expected to be difficult to reach a consensus.
In contrast, Renault Korea reached a tentative agreement between labor and management during the same period. After 15 rounds of definitive negotiations over the past four months, Renault Korea formed a shared understanding on overcoming its management crisis and prepared a tentative agreement for the collective bargaining agreement on August 20. This agreement is scheduled to be finalized through an employee general meeting on the 26th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
