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Workers at South Korean tech giant Samsung are set to extend their strike over pay and benefits indefinitely.
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) announcement follows a three-day general strike that concluded with no progress in negotiations.
Consequentially, the NSEU, which represents a staggering 30,000 workers, called for the extended strike: “The company has no intention to engage in a dialogue even after the first general strike.”
Samsung worker union ups the pressure
So far, an estimated 6,500 workers have participated in the strike action. A protest on Monday also attracted 3,000 participants, however Samsung disputes claims of disrupted production (via BBC):
“Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines. The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”
Local media reports suggest that this is the first strike in the company’s 55-year history. Workers are demanding a 3.5% increase in base wages, better pay transparency and compensation for economic losses incurred by striking workers.
Several rounds of discussion leading up to this week’s preliminary three-day strike were unsuccessful.
Samsung Electronics is one of the world’s leading producers of memory chips, smartphones and televisions, with products spanning both consumer and commercial markets. With thousands of workers potentially staging a walkout, experts are predicting that disruption would be inevitable.
Shares of Samsung Electronics traded flat to slightly lower on the Korea Stock Exchange following the union’s announcement of its strike extension. Moreover, the company’s $1,591 share price falls short of an all-time high of more than $2,000 in January 2021.
TechRadar Pro has asked Samsung to comment on ongoing strike action and disruption. The company did not immediately respond.
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