Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages gathered for a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) protested and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions held between the union and Samsung on Friday, as noted by Bloomberg.
The NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout failed to achieve the desired workplace improvements.
While the union claims to represent over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this action has become the largest strike in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a remarkable second-quarter revenue increase of over 1,450% year-on-year, largely attributed to a surge in artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold rise in profits for the first three months of 2024. However, the NSEU has highlighted that workers have not experienced corresponding wage increases despite these record financial results.
Many striking employees are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the most sophisticated computer chips globally, according to AFP.
Experts characterized Samsung as having a historically adversarial approach to unions, lacking substantial experience in negotiations with their workforce.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this endeavor, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor,” stated Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, in comments to AFP.