About 200 foreign workers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ (HHI) Ulsan shipyard join a labor union in what multiple reports describe as a rare collective action by migrant workers in South Korea. The move comes after the company introduced a new wage system that workers say they were required to sign. According to the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), the contract changes include cutting base pay by about 170,000 won to 200,000 won, replacing variable overtime arrangements with a fixed overtime allowance based on 30 hours per month, and adding a performance-based pay scale. The system also makes meals free, which workers previously had been charged for.
The union says workers were pressured into signing through threats of contract non-renewal and limited ability to find comparable jobs at other companies. The reports also note that the action highlights differences in workers’ ability to raise grievances depending on whether they are directly employed by the shipbuilder or employed via subcontractors. The shipyard employs about 1,600 foreign workers, with roughly 320 reportedly affected by the dispute, though the union focus is on the initial group joining the union this month.
