Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and increased pay held a large rally in South Korea on Monday, as their protest against the company enters 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, according to reports.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung held on Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this ongoing strike is the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, fueled by an AI boom, and it reported a tenfold rise in profits in the first three months of 2024. However, the NSEU claims workers are not receiving corresponding pay increases despite these record earnings.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts note that Samsung has a longstanding reputation for being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, noted that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower other labor movements throughout South Korea.