Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and better pay held a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their protest against the company.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching along the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung on Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements they were advocating for.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current action has become the largest strike in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in its second-quarter revenue, fueled by a surge in artificial intelligence demand. The company also reported a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU asserts that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases despite these record profits.
Many of the striking employees are based in Samsung’s foundry, where they help produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts have noted that Samsung has a history of hostility towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, commented that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower the wider South Korean labor movement.