Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages organized a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing protest against the company.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin. This rally followed preliminary wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements they sought. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current strike has become the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates a significant increase in second-quarter revenue, projecting a rise of over 1,450% year-over-year driven by an AI boom, alongside a tenfold profit surge in the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU argues that employees have not received corresponding pay raises despite these record financial outcomes.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured.
Experts note that Samsung has a history of being resistant to unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, stated that should Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.