Samsung employees demanding improved working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 workers from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung, which took place last Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The strike, which began on July 8, was initiated by the NSEU when a previous walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, this strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung projecting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely attributed to advancements in AI, and reporting a tenfold profit surge in the first quarter of 2024, NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding wage increases despite these record profits.
A considerable number of striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the most sophisticated computer chips in the world are manufactured.
Experts point out that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unionization and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov from the University of Oslo commented that if Samsung’s workers achieve their goals, it could inspire and empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.