Samsung employees demanding improved working conditions and higher wages organized a large 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 and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions held between the union and Samsung on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those on indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this current strike is noted as the largest in the technology company’s history.
Despite Samsung anticipating a significant surge in second-quarter revenue due to an AI boom, projected to exceed 1,450% year-over-year, and reporting a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU highlights that workers have not seen a corresponding rise in their wages.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts indicate that Samsung has a history of being resistant to union negotiations and lacks substantial experience working with its own employees.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, stated that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower the broader labor movement across South Korea.