Samsung employees advocating for improved working conditions and higher salaries staged a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, continuing their strike against the company into its third week.
Approximately 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 protest coincided with initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The NSEU initiated an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements. While the union claims to represent over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this current strike marks the largest in Samsung’s history.
In light of a booming AI sector, Samsung has projected over a 1,450% increase in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year and reported a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024. Despite these impressive financial returns, the NSEU asserts that workers have not seen corresponding pay increases.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, where some of the most advanced computer chips globally are produced. Experts highlight that Samsung has a reputation for being unfriendly towards unions and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
“If Samsung workers succeed in this endeavor, it will empower the rest of South Korea’s labor,” stated Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.