Samsung Electronics union threatens strike over wage demands

A Samsung Electronics union in South Korea will start striking next week to ask for higher wages. The union has about 28,000 members, which is more than a fifth of the company's total workers. They will stop working for one day on June 7 as part of their protest. The union announced this during a live-streamed press conference where they held a banner saying they can't accept labor and union repression anymore. The workers have been protesting outside the company's offices in Seoul and its chip production site in Hwaseong. The union wants an extra day off and clear bonuses based on performance, in addition to the 5.1% wage increase offered by the company. Samsung Electronics said they will talk with the union about their demands. The union's decision to strike comes at a time when some parts of Samsung's business are not doing well. The NSEU is the largest of five labor unions at Samsung. It's not clear if other smaller unions will join the strike. Another coalition of unions at Samsung affiliates questioned the strike's purpose, suggesting it might be to join a more aggressive union rather than to improve workers' conditions. Samsung recently changed the head of its semiconductor unit due to a crisis in the chips industry. Over 2,000 unionized workers rallied in Seoul last week for better wages. The union's membership grew after Samsung promised to stop discouraging organized labor in 2020. Samsung Electronics' union in South Korea plans to strike, starting with members taking annual leave on June 7. The union represents over 28,000 workers, more than a fifth of the company's workforce. They made the announcement at a press conference holding a banner against labor and union repression. Samsung Electronics has not responded yet.