Samsung's labor unions demand direct wage talks with top management, warn of walkout

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics Co. demanded Wednesday that the company's top management come to the negotiating table over wages and other issues, warning of a strike if their demands are not met.

The demand came after the four labor unions of the tech giant have held wage negotiations with management since October but failed to iron out differences. If they go on strike, it would mark the first of its kind since the company was found in 1969.

"Although we have 15 rounds of wage negotiations with the management, the talk fell flat with not a single one of the total 44 requirements demanded by the union being accepted," Lee Hyun-kuk from the union said during a press conference in front of Samsung's office in southern Seoul.

The move came two days after the National Labor Relations Commission failed to bring the two parties to an agreement following two arbitration efforts in the space of less than one week.

The four unions demanded the company offer an annual salary increase of 10 million won (US$8,354) per employee and fully disclose its incentive system, among other things. The company did not accept the demand.

The biggest union among the four is said to have approximately 4,500 members, about 4 percent of the company's workforce of 114,000.

"We want to talk to the top management of Samsung Electronics over a fair wage system and the workers' rights to rest," Lee added, saying that the unions want to directly talk with the top echelon of the company, including Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee and Samsung Group's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong.

Samsung's unions can go ahead with a walkout if their members vote for it. If that happens, it would be the first strike at the world's largest memory chip and mobile phone maker since it was founded in 1969.

In May 2020, Lee Jae-yong scrapped the conglomerate's "no labor union" policy in a major move welcomed by the country's labor activists.

Samsung Electronics said it will continue to "talk with union members for sustainable development of the company and labor unions."

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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