Ssangyong Motor’s labor and management have reached an agreement on offering several benefits to unpaid workers in their leaves of absence, the company said Tuesday.

As key support for the employees on unpaid leave, the automaker will provide them with school expenses for their children, according to Ssangyong.

The company will also offer 150 shares, issued by the company, per unpaid worker.

In addition, the unpaid employees will be given some gifts during the nation’s traditional holidays such as Chuseok and the lunar New Year’s Day.

The company has also decided to support their job-seeking activities in coordination with subcontractors and paving the way for some of them to return to work.

Ssangyong Motor had faced conflict between labor and management with its early 2009 push for mass layoffs in order to overcome financial difficulties.

After a protracted 77-day strike, labor and management managed a dramatic compromise on Aug. 6 of that year.

Meanwhile, Ssangyong labor union leader Kim Kyu-han has said that the company’s new vision and strategy will motivate employees to focus on customers and innovatively strengthen internal capabilities.

“The union will make ceaseless efforts towards new challenges based on a win-win culture,” he said.

Ssangyong Motor has set the goal of pulling up its market share in the local sport utility vehicle industry to 20 percent within five years, from the current 14 percent.

The automaker unveiled the local market share target during its “new vision declaration ceremony” at the Yi-Choong Culture Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

Ssangyong said that it would achieve 4 trillion won in yearly revenue with annual sales of 160,000 vehicles by 2013.

It also established the plan “Aspiration 2016,” under which it aims to sell 300,000 vehicles, recording sales revenues of 7 trillion won by 2016.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)