Employees of Samsung staging a strike for improved working conditions and higher wages gathered for a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their protest into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This event followed initial wage negotiation discussions that took place between the union and Samsung on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU workers initially announced the indefinite strike on July 8 when earlier efforts to negotiate for workplace improvements did not yield results. Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many members are actively participating in the indefinite strike, which is already recognized as the largest in the company’s history.
Despite Samsung anticipating a substantial increase in second-quarter revenue—projected to rise over 1,450% year-on-year driven by a surge in AI technology—the NSEU claims that employees have not experienced corresponding pay raises amid remarkable financial returns.
A significant number of striking workers are involved in Samsung’s foundry operations, where they manufacture some of the most sophisticated computer chips globally, as reported by AFP.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, if Samsung workers achieve their goals during this strike, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.