Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and better pay organized a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the continuation of their strike into its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the event, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung last Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous attempt to walk out did not yield the desired workplace improvements. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are currently on indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this ongoing action is recognized as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Samsung anticipates a more than 1,450% surge in revenue in the second quarter due to an AI boom and has reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first three months of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that workers have not benefited from these record profits with corresponding pay increases.
Many striking employees are involved in the company’s foundry, where some of the most advanced computer chips globally are manufactured. Experts have noted that Samsung has historically been resistant to union activities and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, commented that success in this strike could empower labor movements across South Korea.