Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike against the company into its third week.
Approximately 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 protest occurred following initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this ongoing strike is noted to be the most extensive in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung forecasting a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue driven by the AI boom, and reporting a tenfold profit increase in the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding pay increases amid these record earnings.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts note that Samsung has a history of being resistant to unionization and lacks substantial experience in negotiations with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.