Samsung Electronics Issues Internal Notice: "Do Not Pressure Employees Over Strike Participation" Amid Growing Union Conflict

Company Urges “Mutual Respect in Organizational Culture”
Mounting Backlash from DX Union Members
Withdrawals and Legal Action Against the Union on the Rise

With just four days remaining until the Samsung Electronics union’s general strike, the company has sent an internal message to employees stating that “whether or not to participate in industrial action should be decided by each individual’s free will.” This move is interpreted as an effort to stabilize the organization and manage internal cohesion amid growing conflicts between divisions and signs of discord within the union itself.

According to industry sources on May 16, the semiconductor (DS·Device Solutions) division of Samsung Electronics recently sent an email to each department head, explaining, “As various opinions are exchanged among team members regarding industrial action, there have been cases where some employees have expressed psychological distress.”

The message continued, “Participation in industrial action should be determined by each employee’s autonomous judgment,” and added, “Careful management is needed to ensure that no employee suffers due to pressure or conflict over whether or not to participate.”

Samsung Electronics image. Provided by Yonhap News Agency

Samsung Electronics also referenced Article 38, Paragraph 1 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, and advised that “violence or threats must not be used when appealing for or persuading participation in industrial action.”

The company further announced that if employees are experiencing difficulties due to: repeated requests to participate against their will; unwanted verification or disclosure of participation status; or unauthorized access to another person’s attendance records, they should be informed that they can immediately seek assistance from the company or through the organizational culture SOS channel.

Some department heads have also relayed this information to their teams, urging efforts to minimize internal conflicts. One department head stated, “I hope a culture of mutual respect continues within the organization.” Another commented, “I hope no issues arise among team members due to differing opinions on industrial action,” and added, “There should be no situations where anyone gets hurt.”

Industry observers view Samsung Electronics’ recent actions as an attempt to minimize internal conflict and organizational division, which have intensified ahead of the general strike.

In particular, among employees in the DX (Device eXperience) division, which handles home appliances, smartphones, and TVs, there is growing dissatisfaction that Samsung Electronics’ largest union—the Samsung Group Super-Enterprise Union’s Samsung Electronics Branch—has focused solely on fighting for performance bonuses in the semiconductor business while neglecting the demands of the DX division.

In fact, thousands of union members in the DX division are withdrawing from the super-enterprise union, and it is reported that some members are preparing to file an injunction to prohibit wage negotiations and strikes against the union.

As tens of thousands of DS division union members have put “strike” in their internal messenger profiles, some in the DX division are pushing back by proposing the use of “Oppose DS Strike” in their own profiles.

The union maintains that it will proceed with the planned general strike, stating that the company has not changed its position on making the performance bonus (OPI) system more transparent and abolishing its upper limit.

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