Union Holds Rally in Front of Vice Chairman Lee's Residence
Wage negotiations at Samsung Electronics have reached an impasse. Conflicts between the labor and management appear to be growing, as the labor union rejected a three-day paid leave proposal from the management and requested the nation's two umbrella union federations and civic groups to join it in a joint struggle.
The union held a press conference in front of the residence of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong in Hannam-dong, Seoul, on April 25, calling for a solidarity struggle.
Participants in the meeting were members from labor unions of Samsung Electronics, Samsung Fire, Samsung Display and Samsung SDI Ulsan and SK Hynix under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and Samsung Electronics Service and Samsung Wellstory under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).
The union announced that it could not accept a 3-day paid leave and consolidation of 2021 and 2022 wage negotiations proposed by the management. The labor union demands seven days of paid leave.
In addition, to increase pressure on the company, the union asked the two umbrella union organizations and all civic groups for solidarity. “We propose that all labor unions and civic groups across the country launch a joint support group to help Samsung Electronics win the wage bargaining struggle,” a Samsung Electronics Labor Union official said. “Let’s respond to anti-union policies of Samsung Group and other large companies including the management of Samsung Electronics that seeks to strike a deal not with the Samsung Electronic Labor Union but the Samsung Electronic Labor-Management Council.”
The labor and management of Samsung Electronics conducted wage negotiations for 2021 15 times over five months from September 2021, but they have not been able to iron out their differences. Unionists demanded direct communications with the CEO after securing the legal right to go on strike. On March 11, the labor union met with President Kyung Kye-hyeon but no progress was made, so they are holding a protest in front of the home of Vice Chairman Lee.