GM Korea Union Members Reject Tentative Agreement

Members of the union representing GM Korea workers overwhelmingly reject a tentative agreement with the auto maker.

A GM Korea spokesman says of the 13,404 union members participating in last week’s ratification vote, 81.3% rejected in 18.7% endorsed it.

Union representatives and management usually are quick to resume talks when a ratification vote fails, the spokesman tells WardsAuto. “Nothing is decided yet, but we are hopeful of meeting again for the 26th round of negotiations early this week.”

Union officials met today to determine if they should continue taking take strike action once they get back to the bargaining table. GM Korea lost production of 13,000 units during 10 days of partial strikes in July and August.

Ending night-shift work is a key issue in the negotiations. The tentative agreement contained language saying management realizes in principle that night-shift work must end and that it would be discussed in detail during first-quarter 2013.

The language also stipulated that a formula would be developed to ensure all shift work finished before midnight each day and that implementation would take effect sometime in second-quarter of 2013.

Union leaders say the rank and file demands an agreement with more-specific binding language stopping all night-shift activity.

The union is not commenting on worker reaction to wages specified in the tentative agreement.

It would have increased basic monthly salary by an average 92,000 won ($81) and provided a 5 million won ($4,428) performance bonus and a 3 million won ($2,655) signing bonus.