[Edaily Reporter KYUNG GYEYOUNG ] The “SK hynix Unified Labor Union” (Unified Union), which includes production workers (full-time employees) and technical and administrative staff at SK hynix, has officially launched.

SK hynix(000660)According to industry sources on the 13th, the union received official certification from the authorities that afternoon and was formally established. The Unified Union reportedly has approximately 2,400 members, surpassing the membership of the previous union for technical and administrative staff.

Previously, the Unified Union’s Establishment Promotion Committee submitted an application to form the union on the 8th and began recruiting members. This move came as dissatisfaction with the existing union grew, driven by recent signs that the government intends to revise the performance-based bonus system linked to operating profit, as well as the company’s own discussions to restructure its performance-based bonus system.

The unified union is an independent union not affiliated with any umbrella organization such as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) or the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU). Its goal is to secure more than 18,000 members—half of all SK hynix employees—and become the majority union.

Currently, SK hynix is conducting separate wage and collective bargaining negotiations with three unions: the Icheon and Cheongju full-time employees’ union, and the technical and administrative staff union. The existing union and management recently held their sixth round of main negotiations. It is reported that during this year’s negotiations, management proposed modifying part of the performance-based bonus system to pay a portion of the bonus in stock, with restrictions on selling the shares for a certain period.