Samsung employees advocating for enhanced working conditions and improved pay staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike against the company enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) organized the rally and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung held on Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the workplace benefits its members are demanding. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology firm.
Despite Samsung projecting a second-quarter revenue increase of over 1,450% year-over-year due to a surge in artificial intelligence, along with a tenfold rise in profits during the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU contends that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases amid these record financial gains.
Many individuals on strike are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies professor at the University of Oslo, if Samsung employees are successful in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.