Employees of Samsung Electronics, seeking improved working conditions and better pay, staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike against the company entered its third week. Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
The demonstration followed initial wage negotiations held between the union and Samsung on the previous Friday. The NSEU had declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not yield the workplace improvements that members were advocating for.
While the union claims to represent over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this ongoing strike is noted to be the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung has projected a staggering increase of over 1,450% in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by a boom in artificial intelligence. The company also reported a ten-fold increase in profits during the first three months of 2024. Despite these financial successes, the NSEU asserts that workers have not experienced corresponding pay raises.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured. Experts indicate that Samsung has a history of being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, if Samsung employees achieve success in their current efforts, it could empower labor movements throughout South Korea.