Samsung Electronics Co. has agreed to resume negotiations with the union leading strikes at its chipmaking plants, as the unprecedented labor action threatens to extend into a third week. Executives from Korea’s largest company will meet with union leaders on Friday to discuss a framework and schedule for wage negotiations, according to statements from both Samsung and union representatives.
This month’s series of walkouts and protests represent the most extensive labor protests in Samsung’s half-century history. The company’s largest union, which boasts over 30,000 members, has urged employees to strike at an advanced AI memory chip plant and other factories around Seoul. This shift in tactics comes after a previous campaign for higher pay appeared to be losing momentum.
Thousands participated in the initial rally, but it remains unclear how many employees have heeded the union’s call for a strike. The concern is that prolonged labor action may escalate, potentially harming Korea’s most prominent corporation and sparking similar actions across the recovering tech and chip industry.
