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The Sit-in strike by "irregular" workers of Hyundai Motor (today is the 24th day of their struggle!!) shows no signs of concluding because the Seoul-based carmaker has failed to solve the problems through discussions. The striking workers (hired by subcontractors), who have occupied buildings at the corporation’s plants in Ulsan since Nov. 15, want to become regular employees of Hyundai Motor based on full-time contracts.

Today's Hankyoreh published (strangely under "art&entertainment") the following piece about the strike's current situation:

Watershed for Hyundai sit-in

Around 400 in-house contractors of Hyundai Motor Co. met another dawn with stiff bodies on Tuesday, the 23rd day of sit-in strike demanding regular workers’ status.

Determination

The Hyundai No. 1 Factory in Ulsan they occupied has turned into ‘cold wintery island’ as company has cut off access to the strikers, in addition to cutting off access to electricity and water.

Sleeping curled up

The biggest pains reported by strikers are not the cold or isolation, but starvation. Three contractors fell down from malnutrition and some 100 contractors gave up until Dec. 7 because they entered the sit-in without any preparation...

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/452767.html

Today in the morning(KST) about 45,000 regular unionists of Hyundai Motor - orgainzed in the KCTU/KMWU - voted on whether or not to support the strike by irregular workers (they're also organized in KCTU!!). The results will be released tomorrow afternoon(KST).

In its latest editorial The Hankyoreh(12.08) demanded: "Hyundai motor union should support striking irregular workers". But today's (bourgeois) Korea Times predicts: "The chances are that they will vote against the idea"...

Related articles:
☞ UAW rallies for Hyundai strikers in Korea (Automakers, 12.06)
☞ Hyundai fails to bring plant back online (K. Herald, 12.06)
☞ Why Hyundai Motor can’t fix deal with irregular workers (K. Times, 12.08)