Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages held a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking three weeks of ongoing protest against the company.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at 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 attempt to negotiate better conditions did not achieve the desired outcomes for its members. While the union represents more than 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, this strike is noted as the largest in the technology giant’s history.
Despite Samsung’s projection of a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, attributed to an AI surge, and a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU contends that workers are not receiving corresponding pay increases amid these record earnings.
Many of those participating in the strike are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts point out that Samsung has a history of being resistant to unions and lacks substantial experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov from the University of Oslo remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across the rest of South Korea.