Employees of Samsung Electronics, advocating for improved working conditions and increased wages, organized a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing strike.
Approximately 1,200 members from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This demonstration followed preliminary wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place last Friday.
The NSEU initially declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements for its members. While representing over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains uncertain. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the tech giant.
Despite anticipating a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year due to advancements in artificial intelligence, Samsung has reported a tenfold growth in profits during the first quarter of 2024. Workers, however, argue that they have not seen corresponding increases in their wages despite these record financial results.
Many of the striking employees are involved in Samsung’s foundry, where some of the most advanced computer chips globally are manufactured. Experts highlight that Samsung has a historical reputation for being adversarial towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov from the University of Oslo remarked that if Samsung’s workers succeed in their efforts, it could signal a strengthening of labor movements across South Korea.