Labor negotiations at SK Hynix stalled after five rounds of discussions. The dispute centers on a management proposal to pay a significant portion of employee bonuses in company stock.
The union opposes the plan, arguing it transfers stock price volatility risks to employees. Labor leaders also claim the proposal reverses a bonus structure agreement reached last year.
SK Hynix expects record profits driven by the current AI memory boom. The company is currently ramping up mass production for next-generation HBM4 memory components.
Any collective labor action could disrupt production schedules for these high-demand chips. In response to the stalemate, employees are organizing an integrated union to increase bargaining power.