Samsung employees continuing their strike for improved working conditions and higher pay held a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their protest against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered at the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, according to reports.
This demonstration followed initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU announced a continuous strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements its members are demanding.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this current strike is the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung anticipates a significant increase in its second-quarter revenue, projected to rise over 1,450% year-on-year, driven by a boom in artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that employees have not seen corresponding pay increases despite these record profits.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts note that Samsung is known for its adversarial stance toward unions and lacks experience in labor negotiations.
If the efforts of Samsung workers prove successful, it could serve as a catalyst for labor empowerment throughout South Korea, according to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.