Employees of Samsung Electronics who are on strike for improved working conditions and higher wages participated in a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the ongoing action’s third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung held on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU began an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the desired changes for employees. While the union claims to represent over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. This current strike is the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s projections for a significant year-over-year increase of over 1,450% in second-quarter revenue attributed to a boom in artificial intelligence, workers claim that they have not seen corresponding increases in their pay. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Many striking employees are involved in the foundry operations, which create some of the world’s most advanced computer chips, as noted by AFP.
Experts have commented on Samsung’s historically adversarial stance toward unions, suggesting that the company lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, stated that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.