Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages held a large 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) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This demonstration follows initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg. The NSEU workers launched an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements their members sought.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung anticipates a remarkable 1,450% increase in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, attributing this surge to advancements in AI technology. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold profit increase during the first quarter of 2024. Despite these significant financial gains, the NSEU argues that workers have not seen corresponding increases in pay.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the most sophisticated computer chips globally, as indicated by AFP.
Experts highlight that Samsung has a history of being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, noted that a successful strike by Samsung workers could empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.