Employees of Samsung are currently on strike for improved working conditions and higher wages, holding a significant rally in South Korea on Monday as their demonstration enters its third week.
Approximately 1,200 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) participated in the rally, which took place at the Giheung campus in Yongin, according to reports.
This protest follows initial wage negotiations between the union and Samsung that occurred last Friday. The NSEU initially declared an indefinite strike on July 8 after a previous walkout did not yield the desired workplace improvements.
While the union comprises over 30,000 employees, the exact number participating in the indefinite strike remains unclear. Nevertheless, this ongoing strike marks the largest in the history of Samsung Electronics.
Samsung has projected a dramatic increase in second-quarter revenue, expecting a rise of over 1,450% year-on-year, attributed to a surge in artificial intelligence demand. Additionally, the company reported a tenfold increase in profits for the first quarter of 2024. However, NSEU claims that workers are not seeing corresponding pay raises despite these record profits.
Many strikers are employed at Samsung’s foundry, which manufactures some of the most advanced computer chips globally.
Experts note that Samsung has a reputation for being resistant to union activities and lacks experience in negotiating with its workforce. A professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo, Vladimir Tikhonov, remarked that if Samsung workers succeed in their efforts, it could bolster labor movements across South Korea.