Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages gathered for a large rally in South Korea on Monday, as their strike enters its third week.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching along the Giheung campus in Yongin. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
Workers from the NSEU began an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not yield the workplace improvements they sought. While the union has over 30,000 members, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike is unclear, making this the largest strike in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung forecasting a significant revenue increase of over 1,450% year-over-year due to an AI boom and reporting a tenfold profit growth for the first quarter of 2024, union representatives claim that workers have not seen corresponding raises in their wages.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, stated that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could encourage labor movements throughout South Korea.