Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages held a large rally in South Korea on Monday as their protest enters its third week.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung on Friday.
The NSEU workers declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace reforms the members sought. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this current strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung’s projection of a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely driven by the AI boom, and a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU argues that workers have not seen corresponding pay raises.
Many of the striking employees are involved in manufacturing advanced computer chips at Samsung’s foundry. Analysts highlight Samsung’s history of being resistant to union efforts and its limited experience in negotiating with employees.
Experts believe that if the workers at Samsung succeed in their efforts, it could have a positive impact on labor movements throughout South Korea, according to a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.