Samsung employees protesting for improved working conditions and higher wages held a significant rally 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) gathered to march around the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung on Friday, as noted by Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not result in the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this ongoing strike is recognized as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue driven by an AI surge and has reported a tenfold profit increase in the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU contends that employees have not received comparable raises despite these record financial results.
Many striking employees work at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts suggest that Samsung has a reputation for being hostile toward unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this initiative, it will empower the broader South Korean labor movement,” said Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.