Members of the National Samsung Electronics Union hold a rally near the company’s Hwaseong campus in Gyeonggi Province on Monday, beginning a three-day strike. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Workers warn of further strikes if their demands are not met
By Nam Hyun-woo
The largest union at Samsung Electronics launched a three-day strike on Monday, threatening to halt the company’s chip production lines unless management agrees to a wage increase and higher compensation, the first strike by union members in the tech giant’s 55-year history.
According to the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), a total of 6,540 union members from Samsung factories across the country, including 5,200 employees on chip manufacturing lines, attended a rally at the company’s Hwaseong campus in Gyeonggi Province.
The union said that over 5,000 of its members had committed to participating in the strike, citing a survey of its members. It stressed that disruptions in production were to be expected, as more than 5,000 members from the plant, production and development sectors would participate in the rally.
The comments seem to be in line with market expectations that the strike is unlikely to cause any significant disruption to the chipmaker’s operations, especially since most production lines are automated.
Representatives of the National Samsung Electronics Union tear up a banner of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Chung Hyun-ho during a rally near the company’s Hwaseong campus in Gyeonggi Province on Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The union said it may launch another strike for an indefinite period unless management responds to the union’s demand.
Since January, the union has been pressing management to increase wages for all members, fulfill promises on paid leave and improve incentive criteria. With negotiations at an impasse, the union announced a strike on May 29.
The NSEU has around 30,000 members, or 24 percent of all Samsung employees. About 80 percent of the union members work in the Device Solutions division, which manufactures semiconductors.
