Samsung Electronics workers commenced a three-day strike on Monday, demanding better pay, with their union hinting at further action if South Korea’s largest conglomerate fails to meet their demands. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), which represents around 30,000 members or nearly a quarter of Samsung’s South Korean workforce, is also seeking an additional day of annual leave for unionized workers and modifications to the employee bonus system.
Despite the strike, analysts believe it will have minimal impact on production at the world’s largest memory chipmaker due to low participation and automated production. However, the strike highlights declining staff morale at a critical juncture in the chip industry as technology companies increasingly adopt artificial intelligence.
The union’s initial industrial action last month involved coordinating annual leave for a mass walkout, which Samsung stated had no impact on business operations. The company reiterated on Monday that production remained undisrupted.
The union, which did not reveal participation levels for last month’s strike, stated that 6,540 workers would participate in this week’s strike, primarily at manufacturing sites and in product development. They mentioned that the strike includes workers who monitor automated production lines and equipment, potentially affecting operations.
Union officials reported that about 3,000 strikers attended a rally in the rain near Samsung’s headquarters in Hwaseong, south of Seoul.
, which represents around 30,000 members or nearly a quarter of Samsung's South Korean workforce, is also seeking an additional day of annual leave for unionized workers and modifications to the employee bonus system.){kind=link}