Samsung Workers Initiate Indefinite Strike Over Pay Dispute

A union representing workers at South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics has called on its roughly 30,000 members to go on an indefinite strike as part of its campaign for better pay and benefits. This announcement came at the conclusion of a three-day general strike organized by the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU).

The union stated that it decided to extend the strike indefinitely after management showed no intention of holding talks over its demands. Representing nearly a quarter of Samsung Electronics’ workers in South Korea, the NSEU claimed that its actions had disrupted production, a claim that Samsung has disputed.

“The company has no intention to engage in a dialogue even after the first general strike, thus we declare a second general strike starting from July 10th, lasting indefinitely,” the union declared. So far, about 6,500 workers have participated in the strike, and the union is urging more members to join the industrial action.

A protest on Monday saw around 3,000 attendees. A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the number of workers participating in the walkout.

Samsung, the largest of the family-controlled businesses in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, had a longstanding policy against allowing unions until 2020, following public scrutiny and legal issues faced by its chairman for market manipulation and bribery.

Following the NSEU announcement, Samsung’s shares were trading flat to slightly lower on the Korea Stock Exchange.