Samsung employees continue their strike for improved working conditions and better pay, holding a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their actions progress into the third week.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiations held between the union and Samsung last Friday.
Workers from the NSEU initially declared an indefinite strike on July 8, after an earlier walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, this ongoing strike is described as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung forecasts a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by a surge in AI technology. The company also announced a tenfold profit increase for the first three months of 2024. Nevertheless, the NSEU claims that employees have not benefited from these record financial gains.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the most advanced computer chips globally are produced.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if the Samsung workers succeed, it could empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.