Employees of Samsung Electronics are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and increased wages, holding a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their protest enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus located in Yongin, South Korea, according to reports.
The demonstration followed initial wage talks between the union and Samsung held on Friday. The NSEU called for an indefinite strike on July 8 after previous efforts to secure workplace improvements were unsuccessful.
While the union claims to represent over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are actively participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this strike marks the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Recently, Samsung projected a rise in its second-quarter revenue by more than 1,450% year-over-year, driven by a surge in AI demand, and reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these impressive financial results, the NSEU asserts that employees are not experiencing corresponding pay increases.
A significant number of striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unsupportive of unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if Samsung workers achieve their objectives, it could strengthen labor movements throughout South Korea.