Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and increased wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
The rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements its members are seeking.
While the union advocates for over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are currently participating in the indefinite strike. Still, this ongoing action is being recognized as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s projection of over a 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year, driven by an AI boom, and a tenfold rise in profits for the first three months of 2024, the NSEU insists that workers have not seen corresponding increases in their pay.
Many strikers are employed in Samsung’s foundries, contributing to the production of some of the world’s most advanced computer chips, as noted by AFP.
Experts highlight that Samsung has a reputation for being hostile towards unions and has limited experience in negotiating with its workforce.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this undertaking, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor,” said Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, to AFP.