The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) is holding a strike in South Korea.
With roughly 28,000 members in tow, the union makes up a fifth of the company’s workforce. The union is asserting to cease work for a day in an effort to demand better pay.
The strike appears to involve workers associated with the company’s Seoul branch in production. It also followed with other recent worker protests in the country relative to chip production.
The union came to fruition just after Samsung Electronics decided to increase wages for this year by 5.1%. The NSEU, however, wanted improvements to their performance-based bonus system and an extra day of annual leave.
As the biggest of the five unions at the firm, the NSEU committed to holding a strike. Meanwhile, the other unions called them to pursue negotiation instead of confrontation. This suggests that they will not be participating in the strike.
The walkout pressures Samsung Electronics, as the company tries to keep up with chip manufacturing demands. However, the initial walkout is unlikely to have immediate effects towards their semiconductor production or shipments.
NSEU official Lee Hyun-kuk noted that they are only holding the strike to have a meaningful conversation with management. He also added that the union was prepared for further action, but didn’t provide more details.
On Samsung Electronics’ end, the company said there was no impact on production on business activity. The strike occurred a day after a public holiday, with fewer employees on annual leave compared to last year.
In addition, a company official said that they are sincerely engaging with the union and will continue talks with them.
This is a developing story, and we’ll be sure to inform readers when more details come to light. What do you guys think of the NSEU strike in Korea? Let us know on the comment section below.
