Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages participated in a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, as their strike against the company enters 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 protest followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU workers declared an indefinite strike on July 8, after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements their members sought. Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, the number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this strike marks the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates a dramatic increase in its second-quarter revenue, projected to rise more than 1,450% year-over-year, largely due to the surge in artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that employees have not benefitted from these record earnings through wage increases.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundries, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to union activities and lacks extensive experience in negotiating with its workforce.
If employees at Samsung succeed in their efforts, it could inspire broader labor movements across South Korea, according to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.