A joint strike has been launched again at HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding subsidiary due to a deadlock in wage negotiations, escalating the labor-management dispute and impacting shipyard production.
According to The Chosun Ilbo, following a partial strike on September 9, the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries union launched another seven-hour partial strike starting at 9 a.m. on September 10. On the same day, the union initiated a protest action occupying cranes at the company’s Ulsan shipyard, aiming to accelerate the resolution of wage negotiations.
According to sources from both HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ labor and management, around 9:50 a.m. on the 10th, Baek Ho-sun, head of the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries union branch, climbed a 40-meter-high crane within the factory, initiating a more intense strike protest. Union members continued their strike rally below the crane.
This crane is a critical piece of equipment used to flip large blocks during shipbuilding. Should this equipment cease operation, the production and assembly schedule for the hull blocks would be disrupted, leading to losses such as delayed ship delivery.
After the high-altitude protest began, there was a conflict between union members who tried to maintain the protest site and the employer’s security personnel. During the process, a female union member was elbowed in the face by the security personnel and has been sent to the hospital for treatment.
Baek Ho-sun issued a statement on the 10th declaring: “I am determined to climb the crane and will force top management to make a decision through a high-altitude protest, vowing to fight to the death to secure the implementation of the wage increase plan before this year’s Chuseok holiday. While the company merged with HD Hyundai Mipo through the ‘MASGA’ project to enhance its standing among global shipbuilders, it has shown no respect or compensation for the union members and workers who made all these efforts possible. This is deeply regrettable.” ”
An official from the Hyundai Heavy Industries union stated, “Management must present a revised proposal that goes beyond the initial offer,” emphasizing, “We will continue our struggle to the end to achieve a fair distribution of benefits.”
Since initiating wage negotiations on May 20, labor and management at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have held over 20 rounds of talks, yet the gap between their positions remains unresolved.
In July of this year, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ management and labor reached a tentative agreement that included a base wage increase of 133,000 won (ncluding seniority-based raises), a 5.2 million won incentive payment, a special allowance (100% of the agreed salary), and standard performance bonuses. However, this agreement was rejected by union members, and negotiations have since made no substantial progress.
Regarding this year’s wage agreement, the union demanded more substantial improvements based on management’s stable performance outlook, including: a base wage increase of 141,300 won (excluding seniority-based raises), extending the retirement age (abolishing the wage peak system), raising seniority allowances, revising performance bonus calculation standards, allocating a 5 billion won special budget to expand rest facilities, and improving benefits for non-regular employees.