Skip navigation
Newswire

RPT-S.Korea's GM Daewoo workers vote to strike

(refiles to fix typo in second last paragraph)

SEOUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Unionised workers at South Korea's Daewoo Motor and GM Daewoo Automotive & Technology Co voted on Thursday to launch a strike over wages and other benefits.

"Over 78 percent of 7,957 union members at Daewoo and GM Daewoo voted for strike," said a spokesman at GM Daewoo.

Unlisted GM Daewoo is South Korea's third-largest auto maker and was created after General Motors Corp , the world's top auto maker, and partners took a majority stake in some of the assets of Daewoo Motor last year.

The former Daewoo Motor Co was split into GM Daewoo and the remaining Daewoo, but the two companies have one labour union, the spokesman said.

"A detailed strike plan hasn't yet been decided after more talks between the union and the management," GM Daewoo said.

Earlier this month South Korea's largest car maker, Hyundai Motor , agreed to hike wages 8.6 percent, more than twice the inflation rate, after nearly seven weeks of strikes cost the nation's largest carmaker $1.2 billion in lost output.

This pushed Hyundai wage rates over $20 an hour, closer to U.S. rates of $25.63 an hour.