Convenience Stores Threaten Strike Against Minimum Wage Hike

Published on 2018/07/15 | Source

Convenience stores are threatening a nationwide strike in protest against the government's minimum wage hike.

A group representing them held a press conference in Seoul on Thursday and said its 70,000 members will strike. Their spokesman Hong Sung-kil said, "When next year's minimum wage level is decided on Saturday, we will all go on strike".

Convenience stores claim that a 16.4-percent hike in the minimum wage would cause labor costs to balloon to 50 percent of their earnings. Instead they want a freeze.

The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises also held a press conference in Seoul and announced it will boycott the minimum wage hike and instead set its own minimum wage agreed with employees.