Samsung employees striking for improved working conditions and increased pay organized a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their protest into the third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, as reported by the Associated Press. This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung held last Friday.
The NSEU workers initiated an indefinite strike on July 8, after a previous walkout failed to achieve their workplace objectives. While the union represents over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike was unclear. Nonetheless, this action is noted as the largest strike in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung projecting a more than 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue year-over-year due to an AI boom and reporting a tenfold profit rise for the first three months of 2024, the NSEU contends that employees have not seen corresponding wage increases.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where cutting-edge computer chips are manufactured, according to AFP.
Experts indicate that Samsung has a reputation for being adversarial towards unions and lacks significant experience in negotiating with its workforce. “If Samsung workers succeed in this endeavor, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor,” stated Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.