OAN’s James Meyers
7:26 AM – Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics declared an indefinite strike Wednesday in a move to pressure South Korea’s biggest company to accept their calls for higher pay and other benefits.
The announcement comes after the three-day walkout on Monday failed to yield any ground involving 6,000 workers, which consisted mainly from the company’s semiconductor division.
However, Samsung Electronics says there have been no disruptions to production.
“Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines,” a Samsung statement said. “The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”
According to the union, it has engaged in unspecified disruptions on the company’s production lines to get management to negotiate if the strike continues.
The company will “regret this decision” of not coming to the negotiation table, the union said in a statement posted on its official website.
“We are confident of our victory,” the union statement said.
According to Son Woomok, the union leader, “it will take a long time to restore facilities that are shut down due to a strike.”
The dispute by the union first came to light in June, when the union staged a one-day strike following failed talks over transparent pay structure and better working conditions.
It’s reported that 30,000 Samsung workers are affiliated with the National Samsung Electronics Union, the largest at the company, while some belong to other, smaller unions.
Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics has battled falling demand beginning last year as consumer’s need for electronics has fallen due to economic uncertainty.
The world’s biggest memory chipmaker remains optimistic, as a resurgence for mobile devices may be on the rise with the release of their latest AI-powered smartphones.
Employees said they want that optimism reflected in their wages. “The company is not treating the employees properly,” said Woomok on Monday.
“Even though the operating profit is high, the company has been saying it’s in a crisis situation for over 10 years, and employees are increasingly dissatisfied with the lack of performance bonus increases,” he added.
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