Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, announced on Tuesday that production remains uninterrupted despite a three-day general strike involving thousands of workers.
Over 5,000 members of the National Samsung Electronics Union began their strike on Monday as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and benefits. The union, which represents more than 30,000 employees, accounts for over a fifth of Samsung’s workforce.
Local media quoted Samsung stating, “There has been no disruption to production.” However, Park Seol, a senior union member, told AFP that production is being affected. “More importantly, the company should understand that we aren’t just trying to impact their production line; we want them to hear our voice and understand how desperate we are,” she emphasized.
Negotiations between the union and management have been ongoing since January, but no agreement has been reached. The union rejected Samsung’s offer of a 5.1 percent pay raise and improved benefits.
Despite the labor dispute, Samsung Electronics reported in a regulatory filing last week that its operating profits for April to June are expected to rise to 10.4 trillion won ($7.54 billion), a significant increase from 670 billion won a year earlier. Sales are also anticipated to grow by 23.3 percent to 74 trillion won.
As the world’s largest memory chip maker, Samsung Electronics plays a crucial role in the global supply of high-end chips.
