Vote underway: Unions want to strike Samsung for 18 days
A vote is underway at Samsung on an 18-day strike at the end of May. The background is the growing wage gap with competing employers.
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In South Korea, around 90,000 Samsung employees have been called to vote on a strike that could further exacerbate the shortages in global semiconductor supply. The Korea Times reports this, adding that the vote among unionized employees runs until tomorrow, Wednesday. If a majority for the strike is reached, the three largest unions would then call for an 18-day strike, which would begin on May 21st. Consequently, about half of the production in Samsung's large semiconductor complex south of Seoul could be lost, Reuters adds.
Controversial threats from unions
The conflict is about a growing wage gap with competing companies like SK Hynix, explains the news agency. The semiconductor manufacturer reportedly accepted a union demand for a compensation reform in the fall, which includes higher bonuses. As a result, the number of Samsung employees belonging to a union has surged. Within three months, 100 union members also left Samsung to work for SK Hynix, among others. Samsung has now warned of the consequences of the threatened strike while assuring that it wants to continue to speak "in a sincere manner" with its employees. The company has reportedly offered a 6.2 percent increase in base salary.
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The Korea Times adds that announcements by the unions regarding the handling of union members who do not want to participate in the strike have caused controversy in South Korea. Choi Seung-ho, the head of the Samsung Electronics Labor Union, has reportedly stated that his organization intends to create a list of union members who continue to work during a strike. They would then be prioritized later when it comes to forced transfers or dismissals that require union consultation. Furthermore, a point of contact should be established where union members who cooperate with Samsung during a strike can be reported. The strike would be only the second in Samsung's history.
(mho)
