Employees at Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and increased wages, with a significant rally held on Monday in South Korea. This action marks the third week of their protest against the company.
Around 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus located in Yongin, South Korea, as reported by the Associated Press. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The strike was officially launched on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the results the members were seeking. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number of those participating in the indefinite strike is unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is recognized as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung predicting a staggering increase of more than 1,450% in second-quarter revenue, attributed to the surge in AI, the NSEU argues that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases even as the company’s profits soared tenfold in the first quarter of 2024. Many of the striking workers are engaged in Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the most advanced computer chips globally.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks extensive experience in negotiations with its workforce. According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could inspire the broader labor movement across South Korea.