Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and increased wages gathered for a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, as their strike against the company enters its third week.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung held on Friday.
The NSEU began an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unknown. Nonetheless, this current strike is the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung forecasting a staggering increase in second-quarter revenue—predicted to rise over 1,450% year-on-year due to the AI surge, along with a tenfold rise in profits for the first three months of 2024—NSEU contends that employees are not experiencing corresponding wage increases despite the record profits.
Many striking workers are employed in Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Industry experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if the workers at Samsung succeed in their efforts, it could empower other labor movements across South Korea.