Employees at Samsung are continuing their strike for improved working conditions and increased wages, holding a large rally in South Korea on Monday as their actions enter the third week. Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin. This demonstration follows initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that took place on Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a prior walkout did not achieve the workplace improvements its members sought. Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, it remains unclear how many are participating in the indefinite strike, which is noted as the largest in Samsung’s history.
Despite Samsung projecting a significant increase in second-quarter revenue of over 1,450% year-over-year, attributed to an AI boom, and reporting a tenfold rise in profits for the first quarter of 2024, the NSEU argues that workers are not receiving any of these financial gains in the form of pay raises.
Many striking employees are involved in Samsung’s foundry, where some of the world’s most advanced computer chips are manufactured. Experts indicate that Samsung has a challenging history with unions and limited experience in negotiations with its workforce.
A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, suggested that if Samsung employees achieve their goals, it could empower labor movements throughout South Korea.