Samsung employees advocating for better working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, as their strike against the company continues into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions held between the union and Samsung last Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout failed to secure the improvements their members are seeking. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike marks the largest labor action in the company’s history.
Despite Samsung projecting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue compared to the previous year, driven by the boom in artificial intelligence, the union claims that employees have not seen corresponding increases in their wages. The company also reported a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Many of those striking work at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and has limited experience in negotiating with its workforce. If the employees succeed in their demands, it could empower labor movements across South Korea, according to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.