Auto Parts Suppliers Demand Easing of Working Week Cap

Car parts suppliers are urging the government to ease the 52-hour cap on weekly working hours because they claim they cannot keep up with their orders.

The request comes as parts suppliers seek to recover losses by boosting output after a shortage of automotive computer chips forced production lines to idle.

A group of parts suppliers to GM Korea in a statement on Tuesday said they need to catch up after the bottleneck. "We urgently request a temporary easing of the 52-hour cap so we can provide an ample supply of parts," they said.

Many parts suppliers are at risk of closing down after they saw a 40-percent on-year drop in sales between January and May due to forced idleness. Those of GM's suppliers plummeted 60 percent last month, when the carmaker ran production lines only eight hours a day due to the chip shortage and a dearth of orders.