South Korea: Hyundai Motor workers go for strike

Workers planned to lay down tools for 12 hours at three factories Monday, which was expected to result in a production loss of 2,654 vehicles worth 36 billion won (US$38 million; Ђ 30 million), Hyundai spokesman Oles Gadacz said.

Photo: South Korea: Hyundai Motor workers go for strike

The union and Hyundai have had nine sessions of negotiations. The union is demanding a 9.1 percent increase in basic salary, higher incentives and better working conditions.

Out of 43,890 union members, 31,934 of them, or 73 percent of the total, voted for the strike plan late Friday, the union said in a statement posted on its Web site, the AP reports.

The strike also comes amid turmoil at Hyundai, which has been without Chairman Chung Mong-koo, who was jailed in April and is on trial for his alleged role in creating a slush fund by embezzling money from affiliates.