Members of Kakao’s labor union hold a rally at Pangyo Station Plaza in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday, as wage and collective bargaining talks with management continue. (Yonhap) Kakao’s labor union said Wednesday that workers at five affiliates had voted in favor of a strike, deepening a dispute over pay and performance-based compensation at the IT company.The union made the announcement during a rally in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, saying strike ballots held at the affiliates had all passed as of 11 a.m.The affiliates include Kakao Pay, Kakao Enterprise, XL Games and DK Techin, according to the union. The name of the fifth affiliate was not immediately specified.“There were strike votes at five affiliates until 11 a.m. today,” a union official said. “All five voted in favor, and as we have secured the legal right to take industrial action, we will announce our next steps.”The vote followed failed efforts to narrow differences between labor and management over wages and the company’s performance-based pay system.Kakao’s main entity, Kakao Corp., had its mediation session at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission postponed on Monday, with a second round of mediation scheduled for May 27.If the two sides fail to reach an agreement at the next session, its union is also likely to move toward industrial action.The union has called for clearer standards in calculating performance bonuses and changes to the broader compensation system. The dispute, initially centered on Kakao Corp., has since widened to several affiliates.