Hyundai workers in South Korea have started a three-day rolling strike after wage negotiations broke down, according to Bloomberg.
Instead of a full walkout, employees are leaving shifts two hours early through Wednesday while union leaders continue talks with management.
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The union is demanding a bigger base pay increase, richer bonuses, and a profit-sharing system tied to Hyundai's annual earnings.
Members argue that workers building vehicles should benefit from the AI boom just as tech employees do.
Job Security at the Core
Beyond immediate pay, the strike is about future job security.
Hyundai plans to introduce its Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot into US factories starting in 2028, beginning with repetitive logistics tasks and moving to more complex assembly by decade's end.
The union wants formal negotiations before robots are introduced, protections for worker income as automation expands, and an extension of the retirement age from 60 to 65.
Hyundai is not alone in this push.
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Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Mitsubishi, BYD, Chery, and others are investing heavily in humanoid robots and AI-powered automation for factories.
Company Stands Firm
South Korea remains the heart of Hyundai's manufacturing, producing about half of its global vehicle volume. Even short stoppages can cost hundreds of millions in lost revenue.
But Hyundai is not backing down.
Domestic production chief Choi Yeong Il warned that past strikes yielded only production losses, lost wages, and public criticism.
The company will not compensate workers for wages lost during the industrial action, he added.
If humanoid robots eventually take over enough jobs, Hyundai might avoid such disputes in the future.
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The assembly line might still stop for software updates, but management likely won't have to negotiate with a picket line of robots demanding bigger bonuses.
