The second partial strike, which began at the Pohang and Gwangyang steelworks, was not scheduled to cover all processes from the outset. The union began its strike at 7:00 a.m. on September 16, 2026, at the No. 2 Hot Rolling Mill of the Pohang Steelworks and the No. 4 Hot Rolling Mill of the Gwangyang Steelworks. Since 120 hours equals five days, the scheduled end time for this initial phase would be 7:00 a.m. on September 21.
Additional Plants to Join the Partial Strike at 7:00 a.m. on September 18
The union announced that it would expand the strike’s scope from 7:00 a.m. on September 18. The newly included sites are the No. 1 Hot Rolling Mill at the Pohang Steelworks, the No. 2 Plate Finishing and Inspection unit, and the No. 3 Hot Rolling Mill at the Gwangyang Steelworks. Therefore, the initial sites that began striking on September 16 and the sites added from September 18 differ in both plant and start time. This change should be understood as an expansion of the strike’s coverage, separate from the continuation of the strike’s duration.
The initial sites consisted of parts of the hot rolling mills in Pohang and Gwangyang, while the expanded scope includes Pohang’s plate-related finishing and inspection unit as well as different hot rolling mills. However, based solely on the facts provided, the actual participation levels or changes in production volume at each process after the expansion cannot be confirmed numerically.
No Production Disruption: Confirmed Scope Is September 16–17
POSCO said it deployed replacement workers and maintained key production processes covered by agreement-based work arrangements, including ironmaking and steelmaking. According to the company, there was no production disruption from September 16 to 17. Because this is the company’s statement about those two days, it cannot be broadly interpreted to mean that the same result continued after the scope expanded on September 18.
Readers assessing the current impact should distinguish between the two periods. September 16–17 is the period for which the company said there was no production disruption, while the period after 7:00 a.m. on September 18 is when the union announced that it would expand the strike’s scope. The actual production impact of the latter period cannot be confirmed from the verified facts presented in this article.
Differences Between the Union’s Wage Demands and the Company’s Proposal
The negotiations also remain unresolved. The union demanded a 7.1% increase in base pay, an incentive payment equivalent to 600% of base pay, 50 shares of company stock, and a 200% holiday bonus. The company proposed a 2.0% increase in base pay, a 3.5 million won performance incentive, and 500,000 won in local gift certificates, among other items. With the two sides’ wage and compensation proposals differing in both items and levels, the union and management suspended negotiations on September 15.
As of reports published on September 17, no additional negotiations had taken place. What is currently confirmed is the suspension of negotiations and the differences between the two sides’ proposals; no subsequent agreement or new proposal has been presented as finalized.
Strike and Negotiations to Be Suspended from September 22; Election on October 2
The union announced that, in accordance with its internal election schedule, it plans to suspend the strike and negotiations from 7:00 a.m. on September 22 through October 2. An election for a new executive committee will be held on October 2. This is the currently confirmed official follow-up plan; it does not establish any additional strike schedule or negotiation outcome after the election.