Employees at Samsung have organized a large rally in South Korea to demand better working conditions and higher wages as their strike enters its third week. Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This rally follows initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung held last Friday. Workers from the NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements they are seeking.
Although the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are on indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this action marks the largest strike in the history of the technology company.
Samsung anticipates a significant increase in its second-quarter revenue, projecting a rise of over 1,450% year-over-year, driven by booming demand for AI technology. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding increases in their salaries despite the company’s record profits.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s leading computer chips. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, expressed that if Samsung employees succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements throughout South Korea.