Workers at South Korean tech giant Samsung are set to strike for the first time in the company’s history, announced by the largest union representing tens of thousands of employees.
The union, which comprises around 20% of Samsung’s workforce or approximately 28,000 people, stated that its members would use annual leave to strike for one day on June 7th, with the possibility of a general strike if necessary.
Management at the world’s largest memory chip manufacturer has been unable to reach a wage agreement with the union since negotiations began in January. “We are striking due to the company’s neglect of its workers. We tried to resolve the issue through dialogue,” the union’s statement said.
Samsung, one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers, is also a key producer of advanced memory chips used in generative artificial intelligence, including high-end AI hardware from industry leaders like Nvidia.
For nearly 50 years, Samsung has successfully avoided unionization among its employees.
