Who: Unionised workers at tech giant Samsung
What: Have voted in favour of a strike after failing to reach a deal on wage hikes with management
When: Vote held from March 18 to last Friday
Where: Seoul, South Korea
Why: Demanding 6.5% pay increase with an additional paid day off
Unionised workers at Samsung, consisting of 20,330 out of 27,458 members, have voted in favor of a strike after failed wage hike negotiations. The vote outcome gives legal authority for a strike if a mediation period doesn’t resolve the issue, marking a potential first strike since the company’s inception in 1969.
The breakdown in wage negotiations between Samsung’s management and labor occurred in February, leading to demands from unions for a 6.5% salary increase along with an extra paid day off. Despite Samsung Electronics agreeing to an average 5.1% pay raise for the year, the workers are pushing for their desired hike, setting the stage for a possible strike if no resolution is reached during the mediation period set by the National Labor Relations Commission.
