Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages staged 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) gathered and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous work stoppage did not achieve its goals for improved workplace conditions.
Although the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many employees are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current strike is the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% increase in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely attributed to a surge in AI technology. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU contends that employees are not seeing corresponding pay increases despite these record profits.
Many participants in the strike are employed at Samsung’s foundries, where some of the world’s most advanced semiconductors are manufactured, as noted by AFP.
Experts claim that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unionization and lacks experience in labor negotiations. Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, an expert in Korean studies at the University of Oslo, indicated that if the Samsung workers are successful in their endeavors, it could strengthen the labor movement throughout South Korea.