Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics will vote from Monday through March 18 on whether to launch an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7. The vote comes amid controversy over warnings of disadvantages for those who do not participate. It would mark the second walkout since the company's founding.
Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics, represented by the company's three largest unions covering an estimated 89,000 of its roughly 130,000 employees, are set to begin voting later this week on a potential strike. The vote, running from Monday through March 18, concerns a proposed 18-day general strike from May 21 to June 7, according to industry sources.
Controversy surrounds the unions' warnings of penalties for members who do not join the walkout. Choi Seong-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics Labor Union, stated during a YouTube broadcast that the union would maintain a list of members who continue working during the strike and prioritize them for measures such as forced transfers or dismissals that require union consultation. He also mentioned plans to operate a reporting center during the strike, offering rewards to members who report employees cooperating with the company.
This would be the second walkout since Samsung Electronics' founding. The first, led by the National Samsung Electronics Union in 2024, demanded higher pay. A protest by union members occurred at the company's plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on July 8, 2024.
