Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages gathered for a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike into its third week.
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 various sources.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung on Friday. The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements sought by its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Regardless, this ongoing strike is noted as the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung is projecting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by a surge in AI technology. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU argues that employees have not seen corresponding pay increases despite the company’s record profits.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts have pointed out that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, noted that if the workers succeed in their efforts, it could bolster the labor movement across South Korea.