Protest strikes at South Korean yard

Workers have staged protest strikes at South Korean yard Hyundai Heavy Industries as they sought higher wages and bonuses. The workers held a strike for four hours at the company's yard in Ulsan. Hyundai Heavy's union said it plans to stage more four-hour strikes in October. The union has held 14 rounds of wage negotiations with management since May 2, but they have yet to reach an agreement. The union has been demanding that Hyundai Heavy raise the workers' basic monthly wages by some 123,000 won (US$103), among other proposals. Aside from the wage negotiation, Hyundai Heavy workers have staged strikes this year to oppose the company's plan to merge with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, claiming that it risks their job security. Meanwhile, unionised workers at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Heavy's smaller associate, said they will strike on October 11 if a wage agreement cannot be reached.