Employees at Samsung are protesting for improved working conditions and higher wages, staging a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their strike enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching along the Giheung campus in Yongin. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place last Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after an earlier walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements that its members are advocating for. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. This action marks the largest strike in the company’s history.
Despite projecting a more than 1,450% increase in revenue for the second quarter, driven by an AI boom, and reporting a tenfold profit increase in the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that workers have not seen corresponding increases in their pay.
Many striking employees are involved in Samsung’s foundry operations, where they manufacture some of the most advanced computer chips currently available. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiations with its workforce.
Professor Vladimir Tikhonov from the University of Oslo highlighted that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could strengthen labor movements across South Korea.