Employees in Korean companies have to contend with salary discrepancies even if they have similar skillsets to each other, as revealed by the latest salary figures. Kia staff seem to earn more although their work tenure is lesser than Hyundai staff. The average annual salary of Kia workers was W82 million (US$75,400) and their average duration of service was 16.6 years. Figures for Hyundai were W80 million and 17.5 years respectively.
A Kia staffer said the reason for the anomaly was that employees were paid money owed from 2009 as a result of delayed salary negotiations.
At Samsung Electronics, Korea’s largest manufacturer, a worker earned an average of W86.4 million last year, but the gender gap was on average a whopping W40 million. The salary for men was nearly W100 million but women earned a mere W59.7 million.
Samsung Electronics says this is because a high percentage of women work on assembly lines and they have fewer years of service with the company. Men have spent on average 8.9 years with the firm, as against 5.5 for women.
At LG Electronics, the average income was W64 million. While men in the mobile phone division earned the most with W69 million, women in the air conditioner division earned the least with W40 million.
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