Employees at Samsung have organized a significant rally in South Korea as they continue their strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, now entering its third week. Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the demonstration, marching through Samsung’s Giheung campus in Yongin.
This rally followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung that took place last Friday. The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after previous walkouts did not achieve the desired workplace improvements.
While the union comprises over 30,000 workers, the exact number currently on indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike marks the largest in Samsung’s history. Despite anticipating a staggering 1,450% increase in second-quarter revenue due to a surge in AI-related business, along with a tenfold profit increase for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU has voiced concerns over workers not receiving proportional pay raises amidst these record profits.
Many striking employees are employed in Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Moreover, experts highlight Samsung’s challenging history with labor unions, noting the company’s limited experience in effectively negotiating with its workforce. According to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies, should the workers succeed, it could significantly strengthen labor movements across South Korea.