Hyundai Heavy Industries union branch chief begins crane-top sit-in amid stalled wage and collective bargaining talks

【Financial News | Ulsan Metropolitan City = Reporter Choi Soo-sang】 Kim Dong-ha, head of the Hyundai Heavy Industries branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, began an indefinite sit-in atop a crane in the small-assembly stockyard at Large Assembly Plant 1 at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan Shipyard at 5 p.m. on the 18th.
The Hyundai Heavy Industries branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union issued a statement saying that Kim’s sit-in was intended to demand fair distribution of gains from the shipbuilding boom, an end to discrimination against subcontracted and migrant workers, the prevention of serious industrial accidents, and the establishment of a safety net.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and its union are struggling to reach a wage and collective bargaining agreement this year. The two sides barely reached an initial tentative agreement after the 23rd round of main negotiations on September 30, but returned to square one when it was rejected, with 52.14% voting against it, at a general meeting of union members held on the 2nd. Workers on the ground continue to maintain that the proposed package falls far short given the company’s massive gains.
The Hyundai Heavy Industries branch criticized the situation, saying, “HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is enjoying a boom, with its estimated operating profit for year-end 2026 exceeding 4 trillion won and expected to nearly double from the previous year, yet workers have no place when it comes time to share the gains.”


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