2024-07-10 08:45:56
“After learning that management was unwilling to discuss, (we) announced a second indefinite general strike starting July 10. » A union representing tens of thousands of employees at South Korean giant Samsung Electronics announced on Wednesday it would permanently extend its strike to put pressure on management.
More than 5,000 employees walked out on Monday for what is expected to be a three-day strike following lengthy negotiations over wages and benefits failed. The movement follows a one-day strike in June, the first such social movement at the company in decades without a union. National Trade Union Samsung Electronics has more than 30,000 members, accounting for more than one-fifth of the company’s total workforce.
Samsung said on Wednesday the strike would not affect production. “Samsung Electronics will ensure that there will be no disruptions to production lines,” a spokesman said. “The company is still negotiating in good faith with the union.”
“We are confident of victory”
The union confirmed that “production has been significantly disrupted,” adding that the longer the strike lasts, “the more damage management will suffer.” “She will eventually get down on her knees and sit at the negotiating table. We are confident of victory,” he added. The union criticized Samsung management for “obstructing” the strike, saying it seemed unwilling to engage in dialogue.
“Your determination is necessary to advance our goals and our victories. Let us join hands to protect our rights and create a better future,” he insisted, calling on employees to join the movement, especially “those who are still hesitant.”
Unions have long been blocked
The union has been negotiating with management since January but the two sides have failed to reach an agreement. Employees rejected a proposed 5.1% pay rise, while the union also demanded improved transparency around annual leave and performance bonuses.
Critics say the company has prevented its employees from joining unions for nearly 50 years, sometimes using violence. Lee Byung-chulHe, who died in 1987, was a staunch opponent of unions, saying he would never allow one “unless I had dust in my eyes.”
The company’s first union was formed in the late 2010s at Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers and one of the few producers of high-value memory cards used in artificial intelligence (AI).
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