Employees at Samsung are currently on strike, demanding better working conditions and increased pay, with a large rally taking place in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their protest into 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, as reported by the Associated Press.
This rally followed initial negotiations between the union and Samsung regarding wages, which took place last Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous attempt to walk out did not achieve the desired workplace improvements for its members.
While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nevertheless, this ongoing strike represents the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung’s anticipation of a more than 1,450% increase in revenue for the second quarter year-over-year, driven by a surge in AI, and a tenfold profit increase reported for the first quarter of 2024, NSEU claims that workers are not experiencing commensurate pay hikes, despite these record earnings.
Many striking employees work at Samsung’s foundry, where they help produce some of the most advanced computer chips globally, according to AFP.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being antagonistic towards unions and has limited experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a Korean studies expert at the University of Oslo, stated that if Samsung workers are successful in their efforts, it could significantly empower labor movements throughout South Korea.