Unionized workers of SK hynix reject tentative wage deal

Unionized workers of SK hynix Inc., the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, has voted against a tentative wage agreement with the company, industry sources said Tuesday. Some 70.6 percent of 204 representatives of SK hynix manufacturing workers' union at Icheon and Cheongju operations voted to reject this year's tentative wage deal between the company and the labor union, according to the sources. Last week, the company and its union for manufacturing workers had tentatively reached an agreement on a 5.7 percent pay raise, along with an increase in medical payments. The union originally demanded an increase of 8 percent in basic salary, citing the chipmaker's better-than-expected performance. Last year, SK hynix implemented a 4.5 percent pay raise while facing a slump in the global chip market. The company said it will discuss further negotiation schedules with the union after waiting for the outcome of another vote by unionized office workers. SK hynix had reached the same tentative wage agreemen t with both the manufacturing and office workers' unions. Source: Yonhap News Agency