Samsung employees seeking improved working conditions and higher pay organized a significant rally in South Korea on Monday, marking the third week of their action against the company.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, marching through the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports. This demonstration followed initial wage negotiation discussions between the union and Samsung last Friday.
The NSEU announced an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout failed to achieve the workplace improvements its members desired. Although the union represents over 30,000 employees, the precise number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nonetheless, this strike is now considered the largest in the history of the technology giant.
Samsung has projected a staggering 1,450% increase in its second-quarter revenue year-over-year, largely attributed to a surge in artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits during the first quarter of 2024. However, the NSEU claims that workers have not benefited from these record returns in the form of pay increases.
Many of the striking employees work at Samsung’s foundries, where they produce some of the world’s most advanced computer chips. Experts have noted that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to unionization and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce.
If the Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could potentially inspire and strengthen labor movements across South Korea, according to Vladimir Tikhonov, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo.