Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages held a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their action into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, as reported by the Associated Press. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements their members sought. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are actively participating in the indefinite strike. Nevertheless, this strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung Electronics projecting a staggering increase of more than 1,450% in second-quarter revenue year-over-year due to an AI boom, along with reporting a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU highlighted that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases amid these record earnings.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which is responsible for producing some of the world’s most advanced computer chips, according to AFP.
Experts have pointed out that Samsung has a history of being unfriendly toward unions and lacks negotiation experience with its own workforce. Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.