Approximately 1,200 workers from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered for a significant rally at the Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, on Monday as their strike for improved working conditions and higher pay enters its third week. This mass 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 walkout did not yield satisfactory workplace improvements. While the union represents over 30,000 members, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. This current action marks the largest strike in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s projections of more than a 1,450% rise in second-quarter revenue due to a boom in artificial intelligence and a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU claims that employees are not benefitting from these record financial returns.
Many striking workers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, known for creating some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being hostile toward unions and lacks experience in labor negotiations.
According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, the success of the Samsung workers in their strike could significantly empower the broader labor movement in South Korea.