Hyundai Motor may have a union problem in South Korea. The automaker’s labour union has warned the company against deploying humanoid robots without its approval, saying the robots would bring “employment shocks”. The warning comes weeks after the company shared plans to deploy humanoid robots starting in 2028, sending the company shares rallying to record highs. However, the move was ‘not welcome’ for workersCiting an internal letter by the union, news agency Reuters reported that the union accused Hyundai of seeking to boost profits by deploying robots to reduce workforce.“Remember that without labour–management agreement, not a single robot using new technology will be allowed to enter the workplace,” the union said in the letter.
Hyundai’s South Korean union criticizes company’s US expansion
Reportedly, the union also criticised Hyundai’s efforts to shift production to the US, arguing that the automaker’s new factory in Georgia was already making a dent in the domestic production and threatening job security at two of its factories in Korea.Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia together are the world’s third-biggest automaker by sales. Last year, the company said that its Georgia factory will reach annual production capacity of 5,00,000 vehicles by 2028 as it navigates US tariffs.
Hyundai’s plans to introduce robots by 2028
At CES this year, the company unveiled the production version of the Atlas humanoid robot, which has been developed by its unit Boston Dynamics. According to the company, it aims to build a factory capable of manufacturing 30,000 robot units annually by 2028 and plans to deploy humanoid robots at its US plant in Georgia starting in 2028.The company did not disclose the cost of the robots, but said in a statement it aims to roll out adoption across all of its manufacturing sites as part of a push into “physical AI”. These robots will initially carry out parts sequencing tasks from 2028 and the applications will expand gradually as safety and quality benefits are validated.At that time, Hyundai Motor’s vice chair Jaehoon Chang said that the company understands concerns about job losses, but people will be needed to maintain and train the robots, and additional personnel will be required.