Hyundai Factory Workers Strike Over Humanoid Robots (1 photo)

Employees at Hyundai's South Korean plants have staged a partial strike. According to Bloomberg, the short walkout stems from failed talks over wage restructurings. On top of that, workers are demanding job security guarantees as the automaker moves forward with plans to deploy Boston Dynamics humanoid robots.



For the next few days, Hyundai staff will clock off two hours ahead of schedule. Union leaders will then convene to decide their next moves in the standoff with management.

The workers' demands include higher base salaries, increased bonuses, and a profit-sharing scheme modeled after companies like Samsung, which recently paid out extra bonuses to share windfall profits driven by the boom in artificial intelligence.

Hyundai plans to deploy Atlas androids across its factories in 2028, but employees are already concerned that the robots will eventually replace human labor. As a result, the union is also demanding a fixed income guarantee to protect wages from potential hour cuts caused by automation.

The agency notes that South Korea’s production hub accounts for nearly half of Hyundai's annual sales, meaning even brief walkouts could carry heavy financial consequences. However, based on semi-official statements from company representatives, Hyundai has no intention of making concessions.