Unionized workers at South Korea's second-largest carmaker, Kia Motors Corp, walked off their jobs yesterday to demand higher pay and a shorter workweek.
The walkout stopped all three of Kia Motors' local production plants, said Kim Jin-ho, a Kia spokesman.
Kia's union, which includes 25,000 of the company's 29,000 workers, is asking for a 11.1 percent pay increase and a five-day workweek. The company is offering an 8.3 percent wage hike, another company spokesman said on condition of anonymity.
The union has staged periodic walkouts since June 25 to press its demands. The company said the strikes have caused over 310 billion won (US$260 million) in production losses so far.
A monthlong strike at Hyundai Motor Co, the nation's largest carmaker and an affiliate of Kia, ended on Aug. 5 after its workers agreed to a wage increase and a five-day workweek. The company had incurred about 1.3 trillion won (US$1.08 billion) in losses due to the strikes.
Most of Kia's unionized employees work five full days plus a half day on yesterday.
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