Operations at Kia Motors Corp.'s main factory were returning to normal Monday after workers at the South Korean carmaker urged their colleagues at Kia subcontractors to end a lengthy sit-down strike, the company said.
About 100 workers from some 20 of the carmaker's subcontractors began occupying a paint shop at Kia's main Hwaseong plant, south of Seoul, on Aug. 23 to press for higher wages and other demands.
The strike shut down production fully for one day and affected production for another six workdays before the workers agreed early Monday to end their action.
“Kia workers had strongly urged the occupying workers to leave the paint shop” and they accepted the request, the company said in a statement.
Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., the world's sixth-largest automaker, said it will focus on increasing sales through stable production for the rest of the year.
The subcontractors mainly manufacture automotive parts for Kia.
Kia's Hwaseong plant accounts for 42 percent of the company's total output.
