Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, strike intensity is rising in the shipbuilding industry as wage and collective bargaining talks stall. The HD Hyundai Heavy Industries labor union (Metalworkers' Union HD Hyundai Heavy Industries chapter) on the 11th began its first four-hour partial strike with all members participating. It is the second companywide strike after Hanwha Ocean began one on the 2nd.
According to the Metalworkers' Union HD Hyundai Heavy Industries chapter, the union on this day held a four-hour partial strike from 1 p.m., targeting all 8,000 members. The strike took the form of a "motorcycle horn strike," in which union members rode motorcycles and blocked some logistics movements while on the move.
The union's strike intensity is expected to gradually increase until a deal is reached. The union plans to continue four-hour strikes for all members through the 16th, then extend the strike time to seven hours starting on the 17th. The union is aiming to reach a deal by next week.
If no agreement is found, the union plans to escalate the strike after the Chuseok holiday. Early this month, the union raised the intensity by expanding strikes led by executive officers into department-by-department strikes starting on the 8th. On the previous day, about 2,000 members in charge of shipbuilding and offshore also held a four-hour partial strike.
Kim Beom-jin, policy director at the Shipbuilding Industry Union Solidarity, said, "We will focus on intensive bargaining as much as possible through next week with the goal of reaching a deal before Chuseok," adding, "If we don't reach a deal next week, we plan an all-out struggle after Chuseok."
Labor and management are struggling to find common ground. The union is demanding a 149,600 won monthly base pay increase, expansion of bonuses from 800% to 900%, extension of the retirement age, and sharing 30% of operating profit. In its third proposal, management offered a flat 110,000 won base pay increase (including 47,000 won for step raises), a 10 million won encouragement payment + 200%, 500,000 won in gift certificates, and easing the age standard for spouses eligible for comprehensive medical checkups (from 40 to 35).
The core issue is wage increases centered on "sharing 30% of operating profit." The union says the performance gains from the shipbuilding boom should be reflected in wage hikes. Management counters that the cyclical nature of shipbuilding, with cycles of around 10 years, must be considered. Excessive wage increases would burden company management during downturns, and preemptive investment funds are needed for future business areas.
A shipbuilding industry official said, "Shipbuilding is ultimately a cyclical industry, so we cannot neglect investment," adding, "We recently proceeded with a 1 trillion won investment, and investments in future businesses are only possible if there are funds."
Experts say management's judgment to prepare for a shipbuilding downturn is inevitable from a business perspective. However, after investment, high-quality labor from skilled workers must be in place, so improving labor conditions is also unavoidable.
Lee Eun-chang, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), said, "When a downturn comes, it is only natural to worry whether shipbuilders can survive competition with Chinese shipbuilders," adding, "From the standpoint of running a shipyard, they would want to invest more in areas that bolster core competitiveness."