Samsung workers in South Korea begin three-day Strike
Over 6,500 workers at South Korea's tech giant Samsung have gone on a three-day strike starting today, demanding fairer wages.
Among the union workers' demands is an additional day of annual leave.
The union has warned that they will strike again if their demands are not met.
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), which represents about 30,000 workers—one-fourth of Samsung's workforce in South Korea—organized the strike. However, this week's strike involves approximately 6,540 workers, primarily from production sites and product development departments.
Experts suggest that due to the low participation and the automated nature of production, the strike is unlikely to significantly impact the world's largest chip manufacturer.
The union had its first strike last month, but Samsung stated that it had no effect on business operations.
The company has not issued a statement regarding the strike that began today.
Striking workers gathered at Samsung's headquarters in Hwaseong, Seoul.
Union president Son Woo-mok responded to criticisms of low participation, explaining that the union was founded only five years ago and hasn't had enough time to train its members adequately. "I don't think the participation is low; compared to other unions, we are very young," he said.
Union leaders argue that the bonus calculations, which deduct capital costs from operating profits, are unfair.
On July 5, Samsung announced that its profit for the second quarter (April-June) was 15 times higher than the same period last year.
