Yesterday’s news: Due to the breakdown in labor negotiations, the nationwide Samsung Electronics union, which has been on strike for nearly a month, has decided to resume work due to economic pressures on its members. However, they intend to continue pressuring Samsung Electronics through collaboration with political and civic groups.
The union mentioned the possibility of future guerrilla strikes and long-term resistance through public opinion and alliances with political and civic groups.
Despite the strike, Samsung Electronics has maintained that its production lines remain unaffected. The union leader, Son Yumok, led members to demonstrate outside the home of Samsung Group’s chairman, Lee Jae-yong, on August 1, stating, “The company keeps saying they can withstand the strike, so we must escalate our struggle.” They plan to turn this labor dispute into a public issue through parliament or supporting groups.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, this decision indicates the union’s inability to achieve negotiation goals independently and may weaken the impact of the strike upon resuming work. However, some opinions suggest that continued union operations will prolong the risks facing Samsung Electronics.
In response, Samsung Electronics has stated it will “make every effort to resolve this matter satisfactorily.”
Earlier on July 8, the Samsung Electronics union announced a three-day total strike. Approximately 6,540 union members from factories in Gyeonggi, Pyeongtaek, Asan, Onyang, Gumi, and Gwangju participated, including 5,211 in semiconductor equipment, manufacturing, and research and development positions, marking the largest strike in Samsung’s history.
Previously reported demands from the union include a 3.5% increase in basic wages, improved salary transparency, and compensation for economic losses due to strike participation. Samsung management has not agreed to these terms, leading to the initial three-day strike from July 8 to July 10. With Samsung’s senior management still unwilling to negotiate, the union has decided to extend the strike indefinitely.
As of July 8, the union’s membership had grown to 30,657 members, equivalent to 24% of Samsung Electronics’ total workforce of approximately 125,000 employees. The union expects around 6,500 Samsung employees to have participated in the initial strike action.
Reports indicate that the national Samsung Electronics union, formerly the company’s fourth-largest union, will merge with the Samsung Administrative Staff Union starting August 5, becoming the largest union within Samsung Electronics, representing 29% of all employees.
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