Employees of Samsung Electronics are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and increased pay, with a significant rally taking place in South Korea on Monday as their protest enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin. This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions that took place between the union and Samsung on Friday.
The NSEU launched an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not result in the workplace improvements sought by its members. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike is unclear, but it marks the largest labor action in Samsung’s history.
The company anticipates a staggering 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely attributed to a surge in AI technology. Additionally, it reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these record profits, the NSEU contends that employees have not seen proportional pay raises.
A significant number of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts note that Samsung has historically been adversarial towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, stated that if Samsung workers are successful in their efforts, it could inspire other labor movements across South Korea.