Samsung employees protesting for improved working conditions and higher wages organized a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the event, marching along the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea.
The rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous attempt to secure workplace improvements failed. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number currently on strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung has projected a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by a surge in artificial intelligence. Additionally, it reported a tenfold profit increase for the first quarter of 2024. However, members of the NSEU highlighted that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases despite the company’s substantial financial gains.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts also point out that Samsung has a reputation for being adversarial toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, remarked that a successful outcome for Samsung’s workers could bolster labor movements throughout South Korea.