Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher salaries organized 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 through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This mobilization followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements sought by its members. Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many have joined the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current labor action marks the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung is anticipating a substantial increase in its second-quarter revenue, projecting growth of more than 1,450% year-over-year, largely attributed to a surge in artificial intelligence demand. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU contends that workers have not benefited from these record profits in the form of salary increases.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts indicate that Samsung has historically been resistant to unionization and lacks experience in negotiating with its workers.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a specialist in Korean studies at the University of Oslo, noted that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower the broader labor movement across South Korea.