Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages rallied in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike starting July 8, after a previous walkout did not yield the workplace improvements its members sought. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike, which is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung’s projected second-quarter revenue increase of more than 1,450% year-over-year driven by an AI boom and a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, NSEU has highlighted that workers are not experiencing similar pay increases amid these record financial performances.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured. Industry experts have noted Samsung’s historical resistance to unions and its limited experience in labor negotiations.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, stated that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could empower the broader labor movement across South Korea.