Employees at Samsung are pushing for improved working conditions and better pay, holding a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike enters its third week. Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) assembled and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions that took place on Friday between the union and Samsung, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8, as earlier attempts to negotiate better workplace conditions had not met with success. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are actively participating in the indefinite strike, which is notable as the largest strike in the technology giant’s history.
Despite Samsung’s expectations of a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year attributed to advancements in artificial intelligence, and a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding increases in their wages.
Many of the striking workers are employed in Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips. Experts point out that Samsung has a history of being unfavorable towards unions and lacks experience in negotiations with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, noted that if Samsung employees succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.