Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and increased wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike against the company into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This rally occurred following initial wage negotiation talks between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The union, which represents over 30,000 employees, declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements its members sought. While the precise number of workers participating in the indefinite strike was unclear, this strike is the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a staggering increase in its second-quarter revenue, projecting a rise of over 1,450% year-over-year, driven by a boom in artificial intelligence. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these record earnings, the NSEU has highlighted that workers have not experienced corresponding pay increases.
A significant number of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which is responsible for the production of some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts indicate that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a scholar of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, stated that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could bolster labor movements across South Korea.