Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and increased wages staged a large rally in South Korea on Monday, as their protest against the company enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 workers from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched along the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace advancements their members are pursuing.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nevertheless, this current action is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a significant revenue increase exceeding 1,450% year-on-year in the second quarter, buoyed by a boom in artificial intelligence. The company also reported a tenfold surge in profits during the first three months of 2024. However, the NSEU has highlighted that workers have not benefited from these record profits in terms of pay increases.
A considerable number of striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, known for producing some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts emphasize that Samsung has a longstanding reputation for being unwelcoming toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this initiative, it will empower the broader labor movement in South Korea,” stated Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.