Samsung employees are striking for better working conditions and higher pay, holding a massive rally in South Korea on Monday as their protest against the company continues into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 workers from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered for a rally and marched along the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, according to the Associated Press.
The rally follows initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung on Friday, as reported by Bloomberg.
NSEU workers began an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements they are seeking.
Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, it is unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this is the largest strike in the technology company’s history.
Samsung expects its second-quarter revenue to increase by more than 1,450% year-over-year due to an AI boom. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first three months of 2024. However, NSEU stated that workers have not seen corresponding pay raises despite these record profits.
Many of those on strike are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the most advanced computer chips globally, AFP reported.
Experts note that Samsung has a history of being hostile to unions and has little experience negotiating with its own workers.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this undertaking, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor,” Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, told AFP.