The Hyundai Heavy Industries branch of the Korean Metal Workers' Union will begin a partial strike after HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (329180) and its labor union failed to reach an agreement in their 18th main bargaining session on the 1st. The company's first offer this year included a 105,000 won monthly base-pay increase, including 35,000 won in seniority-based raises, as well as 10 million won, a bonus equal to 200% of base pay and performance-based pay outside base wages. The union rejected the proposal and called for a 149,600 won monthly base-pay increase excluding seniority raises, a 100% bonus increase, at least 30% of operating profit to be shared, vacation and celebratory allowances to be counted as ordinary wages (regular pay used for statutory calculations), and new hiring. A seven-hour partial strike involving executive officers, bargaining committee members and delegates is scheduled to start on the 2nd. Rotating action among affiliated units will continue through the 10th, followed by a four-hour partial strike involving all union members on the 15th; operations are scheduled to run normally on the 3rd and 7th. The strike will proceed, but negotiations remain open, with further discussions expected after the company considers any union counterproposal and presents a follow-up offer. The union approved industrial action on the 27th of last month, when 5,379 of 5,607 participating members voted in favor, equal to 66.18% of the 8,127 total membership. Its central strike committee met on the 28th and set the start date for the 2nd of this month. The company and union completed collective bargaining without a strike in 2022 for the first time in nine years, but strikes resumed in 2023 and have continued every year since, including this year.