Samsung employees demanding improved working conditions and higher salaries organized a large rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike enters 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 rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions held between the union and Samsung last Friday.
Union members had initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not yield the workplace improvements they sought. While the NSEU represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this ongoing strike is noted as the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates a staggering increase in its second-quarter revenue, projected to rise more than 1,450% year-over-year, largely credited to advancements in AI technology. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that workers are not benefiting from these record profits with corresponding wage increases.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they are involved in the production of some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts suggest that Samsung has historically been resistant to unionization and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that if the Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could empower the broader labor movement across South Korea.