Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics have announced an indefinite strike, escalating a rare labor dispute that threatens to disrupt the tech giant's world-leading chip business.
This move follows a failure to reach an agreement with management over pay and working conditions.
On Monday, approximately 6,500 workers initiated a planned three-day strike. However, the Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union decided to extend the strike indefinitely after “hearing no word” from the company, according to Lee Hyun Kuk, the union's vice president. The union represents over 31,000 workers, which is about a quarter of Samsung Electronics' total workforce.
Samsung, South Korea's largest private employer, is the world's foremost manufacturer of memory chips, essential for storing information in computers and other electronic devices.
The company is also a significant producer of logic chips, second only to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
The union has been in negotiations with Samsung since January, focusing on issues such as vacation days and wages. Despite months of discussions, the two parties have not reached a consensus, leading to the current strike.
"As the strike goes on, the management’s blood will dry out, and they will eventually come to the negotiating table on their knees," the union declared in a statement.
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