Unionized workers of Kia, South Korea's second-largest carmaker, voted Tuesday to accept a wage hike deal for this year, the company said, marking the fifth consecutive year the company wrapped up wage talks without a strike. Kia said 73.1 percent of 21,356 union members who participated in the vote supported the tentative deal reached between labor and management. In addition, the company will recruit 500 engineers for its production lines by the end of next year. Kia and the union also agreed to cooperate in transforming the automaker's domestic plants into core production facilities for next-generation models, such as purpose-built vehicles. With the approval of the latest deal, Kia has successfully concluded wage and collective bargaining talks without labor disputes for five straight years since 2021.