Samsung Workers Rally for Change: Will Their Strike Reshape Labor Movements?

Samsung employees demanding improved working conditions and increased wages held a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike, which has entered its third week.

Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This event followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place last Friday.

The NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after previous walking-out efforts failed to achieve the workplace improvements sought by its members. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this ongoing strike is noted to be the largest in Samsung’s history.

Despite expectations for more than a 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue, driven by an AI boom, Samsung has reportedly experienced a tenfold increase in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU asserts that workers are not benefiting from these record earnings with corresponding wage increases.

Many striking employees work at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the most advanced computer chips globally. Experts indicate that Samsung has a history of being resistant to union efforts and lacks experience in negotiations with its workforce.

Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if the workers at Samsung succeed in their strike, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.

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