Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union will resume government-led wage mediation talks on Wednesday morning. The move comes as they seek to avert an 18-day strike set to begin Thursday.
The National Labor Relations Commission said talks adjourned at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday after nearly 15 hours of negotiations. The two sides will meet again at 10 a.m. local time, with any deal put to a union vote shortly afterward.
The union is demanding the removal of a 50 percent cap on annual bonuses and allocation of 15 percent of semiconductor operating profits to a bonus pool. Samsung has offered one-off payments this year that could exceed those at SK Hynix while keeping the existing cap in place.
Analysts warn of supply disruptions if the strike proceeds. KB Securities analyst Jeff Kim estimated an 18-day walkout could reduce global DRAM supplies by 3 to 4 percent. A Bank of Korea official said the action could cut 0.5 percentage points from this year’s projected 2.0 percent economic growth.
