Samsung employees in South Korea are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and increased wages, with a significant rally taking place on Monday as the labor action enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin. This protest follows initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that occurred last Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not yield the workplace improvements sought by members. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are currently participating in the indefinite strike, which is noted to be the largest in the company’s history.
Despite projections of a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue attributed to the AI boom and a reported tenfold rise in profits in early 2024, workers claim they have not seen corresponding increases in their wages.
Most of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured. Experts indicate that Samsung has a reputation for being unsupportive of union efforts and lacks experience when it comes to negotiating with employees.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, commented that if Samsung workers achieve their goals, it could encourage labor movements across South Korea.