Workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea have started a three-day general strike over pay and benefits.Â
The strike, led by the National Samsung Electronics Union, involves tens of thousands of employees.
The strike may disrupt the production of memory chips, a crucial area for Samsung Electronics, which plays a significant role in the global chip market.
Negotiations between Samsung management and the union have been ongoing since January but have not resulted in an agreement.
Samsung proposed a 5.1% pay increase, which the union rejected.
The union is calling for better annual leave policies and higher performance-based bonuses.
About 5,200 workers from various departments joined the strike. The union sees this strike as just the beginning and is prepared for more strikes if necessary, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and collective action.
Samsung avoided unionization for nearly 50 years, with its first union forming in the late 2010s, despite the company founder’s historical opposition to unions. Samsung declined to comment on the strike.
As part of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung Electronics is crucial to the country’s economy, with semiconductors being a major export. The rising demand for chips, especially those used in AI systems, adds to the significance of the strike.
 The union’s strike follows a one-day walkout in June. Given the critical role of semiconductors in various industries, the strike could have global repercussions.
