Hyundai Motor's South Korean union approves strike action over stalled wage talks

SEOUL: Hyundai Motor's South Korean labour union said its members voted on Wednesday to approve strike action ‌over stalled ⁠wage ⁠negotiations, raising the prospect of production disruptions at the country's top automaker.

Union representatives had pledged to discuss strike plans if an agreement was not reached during government-mediated ⁠talks on Wednesday, ‌a union spokesperson said. The union is demanding a ⁠149,600 won ($96.82) increase in base monthly pay and a performance bonus equal to 30% of last year's net profit. It is also seeking guarantees on employment and working conditions related ‌to the use of AI, among other issues. The move comes as workers press ⁠for larger payouts after Samsung Electronics agreed to distribute 10.5% of operating profit to its South Korean chip employees as performance pay.