On May 26, the Samsung Electronics National Union (NSEU) held a massive demonstration in Seoul to call on Samsung Electronics to provide higher salaries and more vacation time.
It is reported that Samsung Electronics promised in 2020 to end policies that hinder the development of organized labor, and thus successfully attracted a large number of members to join. At the same time, the company's chairman Lee Jae-yong also publicly apologized for the scandal that undermined union tactics and announced that he would abandon the concept of "no union".
Despite this, Samsung Electronics still plans to raise employee salaries by 5% this yearhaktutsfordailyspin.1%, but union members still insist on an additional day of annual leave and a more transparent performance-based bonus system. Currently, the two sides have resumed negotiations and plan to hold main discussions on May 28.
Samsung Electronics issued a statement saying it would sincerely engage in dialogue with the trade union. At the same time, in the context of facing challenges in multiple fields, including the semiconductor chip industry, Samsung recently replaced the head of its semiconductor division in response to the so-called "crisis."
Notably, union officials point out that younger employees are increasingly aware of the role of unions in creating a fairer workplace, while some older workers are concerned that unions may affect work efficiency. Data from the South Korean Ministry of Labor shows that since 2004, South Korea's trade union membership ratio has been around 10%. Son Woo-mok, chairman of the National Federation of Economic Unions of Korea, saidhaktutsfordailyspin:"More and more people within the company are beginning to realizehaktutsfordailyspinWhy do they need to establish trade unions?"