Employees of Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, with a significant rally taking place in South Korea on Monday. This strike has now entered its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, which took place at Samsung’s Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, according to reports.
The rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that occurred last Friday.
The NSEU had declared an indefinite strike starting July 8 after an earlier walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it is unclear how many are actively participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this current strike marks the largest in the history of the technology company.
Samsung has projected a substantial increase in its second-quarter revenue, estimating a rise of more than 1,450% year-over-year due to advancements in artificial intelligence. The company also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these record earnings, the NSEU claims that workers are not seeing corresponding pay increases.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where they manufacture some of the most sophisticated computer chips globally.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being hostile towards unions and has limited experience in negotiating with its workforce. According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, if the workers at Samsung succeed in their efforts, it could strengthen labor movements across South Korea.