Kia averts strike with tentative pay deal

Kia and its labor union tentatively reached a wage deal Tuesday, the two sides said, averting a planned strike a day before it was to be staged.

Kia will settle a wage deal for the sixth consecutive year without a strike if approved by the union members.

Under the preliminary deal, Kia will raise monthly base pay by 100,000 won ($72), provide a performance bonus of more than 400 percent of workers' monthly salary and pay an additional 12.7 million won to each employee, according to Kia.

Unionized Kia employees will vote on the preliminary deal Friday.

Earlier in the day, Hyundai Motor — which has Kia under its wing — also tentatively reached a wage agreement after a series of strikes that disrupted production.

Yonhap