POSCO union warns of 'indefinite' walkout after wage talks collapse

POSCO unionized workers said Monday they will begin an indefinite strike at 7 a.m. on Nov. 2 at the company’s plants in Pohang and Gwangyang if wage talks do not produce an acceptable offer. The planned walkout excludes blast furnace, heating and steelmaking lines, and the union said it remains open to new proposals before the strike. POSCO said it would activate an emergency response system and adjust production to limit effects on customers and domestic demand industries.

The union is seeking a 7.1 percent base-pay increase, a performance bonus equal to 600 percent of base pay, 50 company shares per worker and a holiday bonus equal to 200 percent of base pay.

POSCO’s revised offer includes a 2.5 percent base-pay increase and a one-time payment of 5 million won ($3,770).

POSCO has about 17,000 employees, including around 10,100 union members.

POSCO Holdings shares fell 1.63 percent to 271,000 won as of 10:35 a.m., while the KOSPI was down 0.48 percent.

The union cited staffing shortages and aging facilities as factors that could increase the risk of safety incidents.

Published Oct 26, 2026 10:57 am KST

POSCO's steel plant in Pohang, 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul / Yonhap

Unionized workers at South Korean steelmaker POSCO will launch an "indefinite" strike next week unless the company makes an acceptable offer in wage negotiations, the union said Monday.

The warning came after wage talks between POSCO and the union broke down over the weekend.

"Starting at 7 a.m. on Nov. 2, workers in non-core production lines at the company's plants in Pohang and Gwangyang will go on strike, excluding those in the blast furnace, heating and steelmaking lines," union spokesperson Park Chun-su said over the phone.

The union remains open to negotiations if the company makes any meaningful new proposals before the strike begins, he said.

"If the union launches the planned strike, the company will immediately activate an emergency operational response system and adjust production volumes to minimize the impact on customers and domestic demand industries," POSCO said in a statement.

In September, unionized workers at the two plants in southern South Korea staged two rounds of partial strikes, marking the first industrial action by POSCO workers since the company was founded in 1968.

The union has demanded a 7.1 percent increase in base pay, a performance bonus equivalent to 600 percent of base pay, 50 company shares per worker and a holiday bonus equivalent to 200 percent of base pay.

In addition to wage increases, the union has cited staffing shortages and aging facilities as factors that could increase the risk of safety incidents.

Management, meanwhile, has proposed a 2.5 percent increase in base pay and a one-off payment of 5 million won ($3,770) in its revised offer.

Shares in POSCO Holdings fell 1.63 percent to 271,000 won as of 10:35 a.m., far underperforming the broader KOSPI's 0.48 percent loss.

浦项钢铁公司（POSCO）工会成员周一表示，如果薪资谈判未能达成双方都能接受的方案，他们将于11月2日早上7点在公司位于浦项和光阳的工厂开始无限期罢工。此次罢工计划不包括高炉、供热和炼钢生产线，工会表示在罢工前仍愿意接受新的提议。浦项钢铁公司表示，将启动应急响应系统并调整生产，以尽量减少对客户和国内需求行业的影响。

工会要求基本工资增长 7.1%，绩效奖金相当于基本工资的 600%，每位员工 50 股公司股份，以及节日奖金相当于基本工资的 200%。

浦项制铁的修订方案包括基本工资增长 2.5%，以及一次性支付 500 万韩元（3770 美元）。

浦项钢铁公司约有 17,000 名员工，其中包括约 10,100 名工会成员。

截至上午 10:35，浦项钢铁控股公司股价下跌 1.63% 至 271,000 韩元，而韩国综合股价指数下跌 0.48%。

工会指出，人员短缺和设施老化是可能增加安全事故风险的因素。

发布于2026年10月26日上午10:57（韩国标准时间）

浦项钢铁公司位于首尔东南270公里处的浦项的钢铁厂 / 韩联社

韩国钢铁制造商浦项钢铁的工会周一表示，除非公司在工资谈判中提出可接受的方案，否则工会成员将于下周发起“无限期”罢工。

此前，浦项钢铁公司与工会之间的工资谈判在周末破裂。

工会发言人朴春洙在电话中表示：“从11月2日早上7点开始，公司浦项和光阳工厂非核心生产线的工人将举行罢工，但高炉、加热和炼钢生产线的工人除外。”

他说，如果公司在罢工开始前提出任何有意义的新方案，工会仍然愿意进行谈判。

浦项钢铁公司在一份声明中表示：“如果工会发起计划中的罢工，公司将立即启动紧急运营响应系统，并调整产量，以最大限度地减少对客户和国内需求行业的影响。”

9 月，韩国南部两家工厂的工会工人举行了两轮部分罢工，这是浦项钢铁公司自 1968 年成立以来工人首次采取工业行动。

工会要求基本工资增长 7.1%，绩效奖金相当于基本工资的 600%，每位员工 50 股公司股份，以及节日奖金相当于基本工资的 200%。

除了工资上涨之外，工会还指出人员短缺和设施老化也是可能增加安全事故风险的因素。

与此同时，管理层在修改后的方案中提议基本工资提高 2.5%，并一次性支付 500 万韩元（3770 美元）。

截至上午 10:35，浦项钢铁控股的股价下跌 1.63% 至 271,000 韩元，远逊于韩国综合股价指数 (KOSPI) 0.48% 的跌幅。