Samsung workers in South Korea have initiated a three-day strike over pay. This strike comes as a response to the company's failure to meet wage demands from the union representing the workers. The workers are demanding a 6.7% increase in their base pay and better working conditions.
This strike highlights the ongoing issue of labor rights in South Korea, particularly within large corporations like Samsung. The workers are taking a stand against what they perceive as unfair treatment and low wages compared to the company's profits. This demonstrates the power dynamics at play between labor and management, as well as the importance of collective bargaining in ensuring fair compensation for workers.
Leaders of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) said production lines using 8-inch wafers had "problems" in the morning as 6,540 members of the union joined the first day of a three-day strike. The NSEU said it has 30,000 members, or 24% of the company's 124,000 workforce in the country.
The union did not quantify the extent of the production disruption, and Samsung told Nikkei Asia that there was no impact on its "business."
Eight-inch wafers are used to produce a wide range of products and applications, from conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to contract chipmaking, according to the union.
Wearing rain jackets and ribbons saying “fight with solidarity”, thousands of workers gathered outside the company’s foundry and semiconductor factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, an hour south of Seoul.
Samsung management has been locked in negotiations with the union since January, with the two sides failing to narrow differences on benefits and a rejected 5.1 per cent pay raise offer from the firm.
The intense work culture at Samsung became evident during the 2012 Samsung-Apple patent trial, which exposed rigorous work conditions among research and development staff. Chief designer Wang Jee-yuen’s testimony vividly depicted the demanding nature of the job, including prolonged work hours that impacted personal well-being and family life.
Women constitute a significant portion of Samsung’s skilled workforce, often recruited from smaller towns to work in semiconductor labs. They endure extended shifts, rotating schedules and exposure to hazardous substances.
Samsung recently predicted a 15-fold increase in its on-year second quarter operating profits, thanks to growing demand for generative AI.
Semiconductors are the lifeblood of the global economy, used in everything from kitchen appliances and mobile phones to cars and weapons.
And demand for the advanced chips that power AI systems has skyrocketed thanks to the success of ChatGPT and other generative AI products.
Semiconductors are South Korea's leading export and hit $11.7 billion in March, their highest level in almost two years, accounting for a fifth of South Korea's total exports, according to figures released by the trade ministry.
 Read more
Thompson sets John Deere record with first PGA Tour win Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley are expecting first babySarah H
Also on site :