In South Korea, the largest union organized at Samsung Electronics has gone on strike for the first time in the company’s 55-year history.
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), which has about 28,000 members, instructed its members not to report to work on Friday, advising them to take a day off.
The NSEU stated that it would not disclose the number of workers participating in the strike, emphasizing that the decision to join should be made voluntarily.
Lee Hyun-guk, the vice president of NSEU, said, “The coordinated use of the holiday is the first step towards achieving our ultimate goal of a widespread strike.”
Market researcher TrendForce noted that a one-day absence is not expected to cause disruptions in Samsung’s production since Friday falls between a Thursday holiday and the weekend, and Samsung’s semiconductor factories have a high degree of automation.
The union is demanding a 6.5% wage increase along with a bonus tied to the company’s earnings. Management, unable to reach an agreement with the union, set this year’s average wage increase rate at 5.1% through the labor-management council and paid employees their salaries last month.
Source: investing.com
