Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher salaries organized a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This event followed initial wage negotiation discussions held by the union and Samsung on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU, which represents over 30,000 workers, announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements for its members. While it remains unclear how many workers are actively participating in the indefinite strike, this has been identified as the largest strike in the company’s history.
Despite Samsung’s projection of a more than 1,450% year-over-year revenue increase in the second quarter due to the AI boom and a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, NSEU representatives argue that employees are not receiving corresponding wage increases.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are produced.
Furthermore, experts suggest that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unionization and lacks experience in negotiating with its workers.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this endeavor, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor force,” stated Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.