Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their protest into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea.
The demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung last Friday. The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout failed to achieve the desired workplace improvements.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, this current strike is noted as the largest in the company’s history.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue, attributed to a boom in artificial intelligence, and reported a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these record returns, NSEU claims that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the most advanced computer chips globally.
Experts highlight that Samsung is known for its adversarial stance toward unions and has limited experience negotiating with its workforce. According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, if Samsung workers achieve success in their strike, it could empower labor movements across South Korea.