Every science fiction story has a plot where humans fight with robots that take over their jobs. But in South Korea, fiction has become reality after Hyundai factory workers went on strike for 4 hours a day since July 13 to protest the use of humanoid robots on the factory floor. The use of robots was done without consultation with the labor union, leading to a strike that affected the production of 5,000 vehicles.
The Atlas robot, built by Boston Dynamics, now owned by Hyundai, began testing for some tasks on the car assembly plant floor in January. Labor unions voiced their objections in the same month. South Korea is the country with the highest use of industrial robots in the world.
The use of humanoid robots in factories is seen as a threat to human workers. Hyundai has so far only said that humanoid robots will be used in its vehicle assembly plants in the United States by 2028.
Hyundai's labor union is now asking the employer to meet their demands such as job security guarantees related to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, changing the salary system to monthly (not hourly), raising the retirement age, larger bonuses in line with company profits and a formal agreement before the humanoid robots are used.
