Hyundai Motor Company has clarified that its plan to deploy humanoid robots by 2028 is not part of current labor negotiations with striking workers at its South Korean factories. The company disputes reports that the labor strikes were motivated by concerns about the use of robots in production. According to a statement shared with Ars, the union’s demands are focused on compensation-related issues such as wage increases, bonuses, and an extension of workers’ retirement age. Hyundai emphasized that its current plan involves the initial deployment of the Atlas humanoid robot at Metaplant America, an electric vehicle factory near Savannah, Georgia, starting in 2028. The company stated that future deployment decisions will be made in consultation with employees and workforce representatives at those sites.
The Wall Street Journal described the Hyundai Motor union as making unprecedented demands seeking to enshrine job protections in the era of robots and AI. The union previously warned Hyundai about the need for negotiations after the company unveiled the production model of the Atlas humanoid robot at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Atlas robot was developed by Boston Dynamics, which has become a wholly owned Hyundai subsidiary. The union told Hyundai in an internal letter reported by Reuters that without a labor-management agreement, no robot using new technology would be allowed to enter the workplace.
Hyundai and the labor union are currently reviewing a proposed wage reform that would provide factory workers with greater income stability even after the carmaker’s planned deployment of humanoid robots. However, experts cautioned that the wage overhaul could come at the expense of company productivity. The Hyundai Motor union is a branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union. Ars has reached out to the Korean Metal Workers’ Union and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions for comment on the current labor strike and negotiations.
Source: arstechnica
