Employees of Samsung are striking for improved working conditions and higher wages, with a significant rally taking place in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their protest.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration follows initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that occurred last Friday.
The union had declared an indefinite strike on July 8, after a previous attempt to secure workplace improvements was unsuccessful. While the NSEU represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are participating in the current indefinite strike, which is noted to be the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite a projected year-over-year revenue increase of more than 1,450% for the second quarter, attributed to a surge in artificial intelligence, Samsung’s employees are reportedly not receiving pay raises aligned with the company’s record profits, which saw a ten-fold increase in earnings for the first quarter of 2024.
Many workers involved in the strike are employed at Samsung’s foundry, known for producing some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts have pointed out that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, stated that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.