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.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally and marched through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This rally follows initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday. Workers from the NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements sought by union members.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. However, the current strike is noted as the largest in the company’s history.
Despite expectations of a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue attributed to an AI boom, and a tenfold profit increase reported for the first three months of 2024, NSEU argues that workers have not benefited from these financial successes.
A significant portion of the strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts also highlight Samsung’s reputation for being unfriendly towards unions, noting the company’s limited experience in negotiating with its employees. A professor of Korean studies remarked that a successful outcome for Samsung workers could empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.