(Pohang = Yonhap News) Reporter Dae-seong Son = Labor-management wage negotiations, which had not progressed even after the first partial strike of the POSCO union, will resume.
While the union announced a second partial strike starting on the 16th with expanded participation targets and time, the local community is calling for a peaceful compromise, concerned about the economic damage caused by the prolongation and spread of the strike.
According to POSCO labor and management on the 14th, labor and management will resume wage negotiations at POSCO headquarters in Pohang at 2 p.m. on the 15th.
Both labor and management said they were open to the possibility of dialogue, but they shifted responsibility to each other and made no move to engage in dialogue until the afternoon of the 14th after negotiations on the 3rd.
However, as voices from all walks of life grew louder for dialogue and compromise, labor and management decided to engage in negotiations.
During negotiations on the 3rd, the union demanded a 7.1% increase in basic salary, 600% incentive bonus, 50 shares of employee stock stock, and 200% holiday bonus. Accordingly, the company proposed a 2.0% increase in basic salary, 3.5 million won in encouragement for achieving goals, 500,000 won in local love gift certificates, and expansion of the scope of increase in congratulatory money for long service.
The union held the first partial strike for 48 hours starting on the 9th as there was no progress in negotiations due to large differences of opinion with the company.
The union announced that if there is no progress in these negotiations, it will begin a second partial strike for 120 hours from 7 a.m. on the 16th, as announced.
During the first partial strike, 20 workers from the Pohang Steel Mill and 100 from the Gwangyang Steel Mill participated for 48 hours, but the union announced that more people will participate during the second partial strike.
To allow the company to prepare, it was decided not to disclose in advance the production lines that will participate in the second partial strike or the number of union members participating.
During the first partial strike, the period was short and the number of participants was small, so factory operations were not disrupted.
However, if the second partial strike becomes a reality and the strike continues for a long time in more production lines, all walks of life in the Pohang area of Gyeongsangbuk-do believe that not only POSCO, but also its subsidiaries, partners, and small business owners could suffer damage.
Political and economic groups in the Pohang area, including the Pohang City Council and the Pohang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued a statement during the first strike, conveying these concerns and urging dialogue and compromise.
A union official explained, "If the company had asked to negotiate on the condition of withdrawing the strike like it did right before the first partial strike, we would not have responded, but this time, they asked to negotiate without any conditions, so we decided to respond."
In a statement distributed to employees on the 2nd, 4th, and 11th, POSCO CEO Lee Hee-geun said, "I have no intention of asking you to simply endure difficulties," and added, "I agree with the need to improve employee treatment and improve morale even in difficult management conditions, and in this year's negotiations, we are continuing to think about ways to get a little closer to meeting employees' expectations within the scope of what the company can handle."
A company official said, "In an emergency management situation where operating profit is decreasing by 43% compared to the first half of 2025, executives have been returning 10 to 20 percent of their salaries since June. We will continue to do our best to reach a speedy salary agreement."
