Employees of Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, holding a large rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their protest.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous attempt to negotiate failed to yield satisfactory workplace improvements. While the union represents over 30,000 workers, the exact number participating in the ongoing strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology company.
Despite Samsung’s projection of a more than 1,450% surge in second-quarter revenue due to advancements in artificial intelligence and a tenfold increase in profits during the first three months of 2024, union representatives argue that employees have not seen corresponding wage increases despite the company’s record earnings.
Many of the striking workers are employed at Samsung’s semiconductor foundries, where some of the world’s most advanced microchips are produced.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being antagonistic toward unions and lacks experience in worker negotiations. Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, emphasized that if Samsung workers are successful, it could galvanize labor movements across South Korea.