Samsung worker’s union in South Korea to strike over pay and benefits

Samsung Electronics’ largest working union in South Korea announced a four-day strike starting on Thursday, demanding higher wages and bonuses after unsuccessful negotiations with management in July.

The union comprises 36,500 members and 30% of Samsung Electronics’ workers in South Korea. As such, it is expected that the company won’t have sufficient backup workers to support the production process during the planned strike, as many workers will be away on Thursday owing to a national holiday. In a YouTube broadcast, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) vice president, Lee Hyun-kuk, explained how the strike was strategically staged to damage the company.

Although the union initiated an indefinite strike in July, it asked workers to resume work in August after negotiations with management failed. Now, the union is adopting a new technique of holding unexpected strikes to secure better pay and benefits. Meanwhile, Samsung reiterated, ‘The company plans to ensure there are no production disruptions and adheres to the no-work, no-pay principles while we continue our effort to resume talks with the union.’