Workers at Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, organizing a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their protest enters its third week.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, according to reports.
This rally followed the initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung, which took place on Friday. The NSEU had declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after previous efforts to achieve workplace improvements did not succeed.
While the union encompasses over 30,000 workers, the exact number of those involved in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, this action marks the largest strike in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung expecting a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue, driven by an AI boom, and reporting a ten-fold profit increase for the early months of 2024, NSEU members have stated that they are not seeing corresponding pay increases despite the company’s record earnings.
Many strikers are employed in Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Analysts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Experts suggest that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could significantly strengthen labor movements across South Korea, as indicated by Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.