Samsung employees are currently on strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, holding a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their protest enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members from the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) gathered and marched at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This rally follows initial wage negotiation discussions that took place on Friday between the union and Samsung.
The NSEU declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the desired workplace improvements for its members. Although the union represents over 30,000 workers, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike. Nonetheless, this strike is noted as the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Despite Samsung’s anticipated second-quarter revenue growth of over 1,450% year-over-year due to an AI surge and a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU maintains that workers are not experiencing pay increases corresponding to these record earnings. Many striking employees are engaged in the production of some of the most advanced computer chips in the world.
Experts highlight that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to union activities and lacks extensive experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies from the University of Oslo stated that if Samsung workers succeed in their strike, it could strengthen labor movements across South Korea.