Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements its members seek. While the union encompasses over 30,000 workers, it’s unclear how many are currently participating in the indefinite strike, which is already noted as the largest in the tech giant’s history.
Despite Samsung Electronics predicting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, fueled by a boom in artificial intelligence, the NSEU asserts that workers have not seen corresponding wage increases, despite the company’s record profits.
Many participants in the strike are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Observers note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience with labor negotiations.
Experts suggest that if the Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could inspire a more robust labor movement throughout South Korea, according to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.