Samsung workers to go on first-ever strike

The first union representing employees of Samsung Electronics, one of the largest tech companies in the world, has initiated its first-ever strike.

The National Samsung Electronics Union has announced a one-day protest, encouraging all its members to take paid leave on 7th June – the first walkout in the history of the South Korean tech giant, which was established 55 years ago.

The union also warned that it is not ruling out the possibility of a full-scale strike if its demands are not met.

“We can’t stand persecution against labour unions anymore. We are declaring a strike in the face of the company’s neglect of labourers,” said a union representative during a press conference.

According to the union, it has roughly 28,000 members, which constitutes over 20 per cent of the company’s entire workforce.

It is pushing for a 6.5 per cent salary increase and a bonus linked to the company’s profits.

Samsung Electronics’ management has been negotiating with the union about wages since the beginning of this year, but no agreement has been reached thus far.

Samsung Electronics is the world’s top manufacturer of memory chips, smartphones, and televisions. It is the primary unit of Samsung Group, the largest of the country’s chaebols, family-controlled businesses that dominate Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

Experts have cautioned that a full-scale strike could disrupt the company’s chip production and impact global electronics supply chains.

Historically, Samsung Group did not permit unions to represent its workers until 2020, following intense public scrutiny when its chairman faced charges for market manipulation and bribery.