Thousands of unionized Hyundai auto workers in South Korea have gone on strike over the company’s plans to deploy 25,000 humanoid robots across its manufacturing plants. The partial strike at Hyundai’s automotive production complex in Ulsan represents a significant pushback from organized labor against the latest wave of robotic automation.
The union has been pushing back against plans by Hyundai Motor Group to introduce more than 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots, made by Boston Dynamics, across various Hyundai and Kia manufacturing plants. Each robot costs an estimated $130,000 but may pay for itself within about two years of operations, according to Samsung Securities Co. analyst Esther Yim.
The union is demanding that the automaker shift production workers’ hourly pay to a fixed salary to protect against any automation-driven reduction in work hours. They are also seeking bigger worker bonuses and an increase in the worker retirement age from 60 to 65.
Hyundai plans to first put the Atlas humanoid robot to work at Metaplant America, an electric vehicle factory located outside of Savannah, Georgia, starting in 2028. However, United Auto Workers (UAW), the union representing about 400,000 autoworkers across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, has been attempting to organize workers at Hyundai’s Georgia facility.
The Atlas humanoid robot stands over 6 feet tall and can lift more than 100 pounds. It is part of a broader automation trend in the global automotive industry, which has been a leading adopter of industrial robots for decades. More than 1 million robots were already in automotive factories around the world by 2021, accounting for one-third of robots across all industries.
Hyundai is not alone in its plans to deploy humanoid robot workers. Tesla is developing its own Optimus robot for use in its electric vehicle factories, and BMW has been running pilot tests with humanoid robots made by Figure AI at its automotive plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Multiple Chinese automotive companies, including leading EV maker BYD, are also trying out humanoid robots and sometimes developing their own.
The Hyundai Motor union representing more than 39,000 South Korean workers is responding to the company’s plans with a clear message: they will not accept automation-driven job losses without a fight. As the use of humanoid robots in manufacturing continues to grow, it remains to be seen whether this strike will set a precedent for other industries and unions.
**Tags:** Hyundai, Humanoid Robots, Automation, Labor Strike, Robotics, Automotive Industry
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**Notes:** The article provides a clear overview of the situation at Hyundai’s South Korean factory and the union’s demands. It also places the story in the context of the broader automation trend in the automotive industry. However, some minor details could be added to provide more depth and analysis.
Source: Original article