Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and increased pay held a major rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike against the company enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung on Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout fell short of achieving the workplace improvements its members are seeking. Although the union claims to represent over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung projecting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year due to a surge in AI, and reporting a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, NSEU highlighted that employees have not seen corresponding pay increases amidst these record profits.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Samsung is known for its unfriendly stance toward unions and has limited experience in negotiating with its workforce, according to experts.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, stated that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could empower labor movements throughout South Korea.