Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher wages staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their action against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the protest, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions that took place between the union and Samsung on Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not yield the workplace improvements members were seeking. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this ongoing strike is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung Electronics expecting a staggering year-over-year revenue rise of over 1,450% due to an artificial intelligence surge and reporting a tenfold profit increase for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that workers have not seen corresponding raises.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Additionally, experts assert that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to union activities and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, remarked that a successful strike by Samsung workers could empower other labor movements across South Korea.