Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and pay have staged a significant rally in South Korea, marking the third week of their ongoing strike. Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin.
This demonstration follows initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place last Friday. The NSEU had previously declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not result in the desired workplace improvements.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains uncertain. However, this action is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s expectation of a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, attributed to an AI boom, and a reported tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding pay raises.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the most advanced computer chips globally. Experts point out that Samsung has a history of being antagonistic towards unions and lacks experience negotiating with its workers.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it would significantly empower other labor movements across South Korea.