Kia labor and management finalize 2026 wage agreement

Kia management and labor unions have finalized their 2026 wage and collective bargaining agreement following a successful member vote. The agreement passed with a 64.1% approval rate for the wage proposal and a 63.1% approval rate for the collective bargaining proposal, with a high voter turnout of 91%.

Key terms of the deal include a 100,000 won increase in base pay, a performance bonus of 300% plus 4 million won, and a quality improvement incentive of 100% plus 4.7 million won. Additionally, employees will receive 4 million won for the 2026 Autocar Awards win, 47 shares of company stock as a settlement incentive, and 500,000 welfare points if maximum production and sales targets are met.

This settlement marks the sixth consecutive year that Kia has concluded labor negotiations without a strike. The parties also agreed to cooperate on preventing serious industrial accidents and responding to the transition toward future industries. A signing ceremony is scheduled for August 31 at AutoLand Gwangmyeong.