Samsung Electronics Sales Union Announces Dispute Notice: "Must Negotiate in Good Faith"

Labor: "2% Increase is Effectively a Wage Cut"

The Samsung Electronics Sales Branch of the Metal Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) pressured management on the 28th by announcing a planned strike. They conveyed a message that they could not accept the wage increase rate being raised from 1.8% to 2%.

On the same day, the union held a press conference in front of Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seoul and spoke about exercising their right to strike. The union has secured a legal right to strike following the Central Labor Relations Commission's decision to suspend mediation. Samsung Electronics Sales is a Samsung Electronics subsidiary responsible for nationwide Samsung Stores.

On the morning of the 28th, participants hold placards at the joint struggle press conference of Samsung Electronics Sales, Lotte Hi-Mart, and LG Hi Plaza sales workers held in front of Samsung Electronics Seocho Building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The union stated that management's position of raising the wage increase rate from 1.8% to 2% after two mediation meetings is unacceptable. They argued that the wage increase rate is too low compared to last year's consumer price inflation rate of 5.1%, calling it "effectively a wage cut proposal."

The union said, "Samsung Electronics Sales achieved first place in electronics product distribution and made significant profits, yet proposed a mere 2% wage increase," adding, "We will proceed with strike action."

After negotiations with management broke down on the 8th, the union applied for mediation with the Central Labor Relations Commission, but the mediation was suspended. Following a vote among all union members, with 95.3% in favor of strike action, the union secured the right to strike. If the union proceeds with strike action, it could disrupt the operation of Samsung Stores.

The day before, SK Hynix announced a tentative agreement to apply a 4.5% wage increase retroactively to workers if the company’s quarterly operating profit turns positive. SK Hynix said that negotiations succeeded in less than a month and praised the outcome as a "win-win" solution. SK Hynix recorded an operating loss of 3.4023 trillion won in the first quarter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.