Employees at Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, with a significant rally held in South Korea on Monday as the protest enters its third week. Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This demonstration follows initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday. The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier attempt to negotiate workplace improvements did not succeed.
While the union claims to represent over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those participating in the strike remains unclear. However, this walkout marks the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung’s anticipation of a substantial increase—over 1,450% year-over-year—in second-quarter revenue due to the AI surge, and a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, workers in the NSEU have reported stagnant wages, failing to see the benefits of these record profits.
Many striking employees are involved in manufacturing at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are produced. Experts note that Samsung has a history of being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could bolster labor movements across South Korea.