"HD Hyundai Heavy Industries must guarantee migrant workers' basic labour rights", 14 July 2026

The Ulsan Regional Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), the KMWU HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Branch, the KMWU HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Branch In-house Subcontract Workers' Chapter and the Ulsan Migrants' Centre held a press conference at the city's press centre on the 14th, urging that "migrant workers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have declared a mass collective enrolment in the Korean Metal Workers' Union. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries must withdraw the bad contract and end its discrimination against migrant workers."

They said, (…) "of the roughly 1,600 migrant workers directly employed by Hyundai Heavy Industries, around 320 have come forward to sign a 'confirmation that they were coerced into signing their employment contracts'." They added, "We were forced by the company to sign an unjust employment contract that recently cut our basic pay and introduced a differentiated performance-based wage system. (…)

They went on to demand: (…) △that HD Hyundai Heavy Industries withdraw the unjust employment contract that cuts wages and introduces a differentiated performance-based wage system for directly employed migrant workers; △that migrant workers be recognised as equal workers and guaranteed non-discriminatory treatment across wages, welfare and personnel policy; △that working conditions be improved through stable employment guarantees and wage rises to address the shortage of skilled shipbuilding workers.