Employees of Samsung have been participating in a significant strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, with a large rally taking place in South Korea on Monday. This demonstration marks the third week of ongoing actions against the company.
Around 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 negotiations between the union and Samsung that occurred on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements. While the union has over 30,000 members, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains uncertain. However, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s anticipated increase in second-quarter revenue, projected to rise over 1,450% year-over-year due to a surge in AI, workers claim they have not seen corresponding increases in their pay. The company has also reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Many strikers are employed in Samsung’s foundry, which produces some of the world’s most advanced computer chips.
Experts have indicated that Samsung has historically been resistant to union activities and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. Professor Vladimir Tikhonov, a specialist in Korean studies at the University of Oslo, remarked that a successful movement by Samsung workers could empower the wider labor force across South Korea.