Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and better pay held a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their ongoing strike against the company.
Approximately 1,200 workers from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea.
This demonstration followed the union’s initial wage negotiation discussions with Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the demands its members are fighting for.
While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung has projected a more than 1,450% rise in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely attributed to a boom in artificial intelligence. 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 increases in their wages despite these significant financial gains.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts have noted that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks extensive experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that a successful endeavor by Samsung workers could potentially empower labor movements across South Korea.