(LEAD) Hyundai Motor, union reach tentative wage deal, avoiding strike for 6th consecutive year

Hyundai Motor Co. and its labor union have reached a tentative wage agreement, successfully averting a strike for the sixth year in a row, representatives from both the company and the union announced Monday.The agreement includes a 111,200-won (US$81) increase in monthly basic pay, in addition to a bonus and company stocks.This development comes as a relief to the automaker, which had been facing the prospect of a strike planned for Wednesday and Thursday.The deal is now subject to a vote by union members, scheduled for Friday.Over the past five years, Hyundai Motor and its labor union have successfully negotiated wage deals without resorting to strikes.The agreement, meanwhile, also includes a plan to hire 1,100 additional blue-collar workers through 2026, including 800 next year, to create more jobs in the country."The company and the workers have reached a tentative agreement for the sixth consecutive year without disputes," an official from Hyundai said, noting that the agreement also addres ses social issues and promotes shared growth with the community.Source: Yonhap News Agency