Kia Motors workers begin strike over wages

(ATTN: CORRECTS time elements in first two paras; AMENDS headline)
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's
second-largest carmaker, launched a two-day strike Wednesday to demand higher
wages and better working conditions, union officials said.

Kia workers laid down their tools for six hours on Wednesday and will wage a
full-day walkout on Thursday, the union said.
Kia and its union failed to narrow their differences after holding 16 sessions of
wage negotiations.
The union is demanding that Kia raise its monthly basic salary by 5.5 percent and
offer a 200 percent bonus. The automaker is pushing for a wage freeze, however,
citing unfavorable market conditions.
Last week, unionized workers staged a two-day partial strike to increase their
leverage at the negotiations.
If the strike continues as planned, it will cost Kia an estimated 330 billion won
(US$264.2 million), or some 18,000 vehicles, in lost production, the company
said.
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