Samsung employees seeking improved working conditions and higher wages conducted a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing strike.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
The protest followed initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
Workers from the NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements they were advocating for.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike is unclear; nevertheless, this strike has become the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by growth in AI technology. They also reported a tenfold rise in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding salary increases despite these substantial financial gains.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured.
Experts note that Samsung has a history of being adversarial towards unions and lacks significant experience in negotiating with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could bolster the labor movement across South Korea.