Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher 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, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, as reported by the Associated Press.
The rally followed initial wage negotiations that took place on Friday between the union and Samsung, according to Bloomberg.
NSEU workers declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not yield the workplace improvements their members were seeking.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many workers are actively participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung anticipates a staggering increase of more than 1,450% in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, attributed to the booming AI sector. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases despite the record profits.
Many striking employees are involved in Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the most sophisticated computer chips in the world, as mentioned in reports from AFP.
Experts indicate that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly toward unions and has limited experience in labor negotiations.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, stated that “if Samsung workers succeed in this endeavor, it will empower the wider labor movement in South Korea.”