Thousands of unionized workers at Hyundai's automobile factory went on strike after negotiations with management broke down, due to the company's plan to use humanoid robots. This protest is the first production stoppage in the automotive industry directly linked to concerns about the introduction of advanced robots.
This strike, which took place from July 13 to 15, caused work shifts to end two hours earlier, and workers will stage four-hour strikes from July 20 to 22. Hyundai's efforts to deploy Atlas robots, made by Boston Dynamics—which is set to become a full Hyundai subsidiary—have raised workers' concerns about job security and their future in the company.