Union Chief Scales Crane as Hyundai Shipyard Strike Enters Fifth Day
Kim Dong-ha’s protest highlights demands for safety and fair wages as Hyundai Heavy Industries faces industrial action.
The head of a Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) labor union has initiated a high-profile protest by occupying a crane at the company’s Ulsan shipyard, escalating tensions after months of stalled negotiations. Kim Dong-ha, chief of the HHI branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), began the sit-in on Sunday evening, positioning himself atop a tower crane at the Ulsan Large Assembly Plant 1. The action coincides with a five-day partial strike called by the union, set to continue through October 23.
The KMWU, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), represents workers demanding a revised collective bargaining agreement. Union members narrowly rejected the most recent contract proposal, leaving negotiations deadlocked. The union argues that HHI’s improved financial position, driven by a surge in global shipbuilding orders and higher profit margins, should result in better compensation and working conditions for employees.
Union Leader Stages Crane Sit-In Over Failed Contract Talks at Hyundai Heavy Industries
The union’s demands include stronger safety measures following a series of fatal accidents at HHI facilities, including three deaths in July alone. Workers are also pushing for enhanced benefits and an end to alleged discrimination against subcontracted and migrant laborers, who form a growing part of South Korea’s shipbuilding workforce.
HD Hyundai Heavy
The sit-in serves as a visible protest against what the KMWU describes as an unequal distribution of the industry’s financial gains. While HHI’s order backlog and pricing power have strengthened its revenue, the union insists that workers have not received a fair share of the profits. With no immediate resolution in sight, the standoff highlights broader labor tensions in an industry critical to global maritime trade.
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