Surprising Promotion
Hyundai Motor has agreed to make all temporary employees in car production lines permanent by 2017. Accordingly, it put an end to the subcontract worker issue, which was the cause of conflicts between management and labor.
The company said on Sept. 14 that it decided to hire 2,000 subcontract workers in the form of special employment by 2017 at the 21st “Special Meeting for Subcontract Workers,” attended by the heads of subcontracting firms, the Korean Metal Worker's Union, Hyundai Motor's union branch, and Hyundai Motor's temporary workers' union branch in Ulsan.
Hyundai Motor’s Labor and Management agreed to hire 4,000 subcontract workers in production lines last year, and increased the number by 2,000 this time. Therefore, temporary workers in production lines will now be regular workers.
An official from Hyundai Motor said, “Currently, there are 6,000 non-regular workers in car production lines. Under the agreement, therefore, all the temporary employees will practically become permanent employees. Only 1,000 casual workers in some non-production divisions are excluded.”
Moreover, Hyundai Motor will actually hire all the subcontract workers as regular employees at a certain ratio from 2018, when permanent positions are in demand.