Samsung employees seeking improved working conditions and higher wages held a large rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the event, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday. The union had declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout failed to yield the desired improvements in workplace conditions.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are actively participating in the indefinite strike, which is already noted as the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates its second-quarter revenue to surge by more than 1,450% year-on-year, driven by a boom in artificial intelligence. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU argues that workers have not seen any corresponding pay increases despite these substantial financial gains.
Many striking employees are employed at Samsung’s foundry, known for producing some of the most advanced computer chips globally. Observers note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly toward unions and lacks substantial experience in negotiations with its workforce.
Experts, like Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, suggest that if Samsung employees succeed in their efforts, it could strengthen the labor movement across South Korea.