Hyundai, Kia quit business lobby amid labor policy dispute

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the parent of Hyundai
Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., quit a major business lobby Thursday amid a
dispute over proposed labor laws.
Big companies like Hyundai have supported the government's plan to implement laws
next year that would allow a single workplace to have multiple unions and ban
firms from paying wages to full-time union members.
Hyundai-Kia said it quit the Korea Employers Federation (KEF) because the lobby
has not given its full, unconditional backing to the government plan.
"There is no reason for us to remain a member of the KEF because it does not
appropriately defend members' interests," said an official at Hyundai-Kia.
The laws have been on the books for a decade, but previous labor-friendly
administrations chose not to enforce them. Large companies support the steps
because they would weaken unions.
Hyundai has dealt with union strikes almost annually since 1987. To avoid such
disruptions, both Hyundai and Kia have been aggressively pushing to build plants
overseas.
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