[Reporter’s Notebook] A Union Insisting a "Strike" Is Just a Group Vacation

Whenever a labor union's strike appears imminent, the term "general strike" inevitably surfaces. At first glance, it conjures an image of all employees collectively putting down their tools, bringing production lines to a halt in a determined show of resistance. However, the reality witnessed at industrial sites often amounts to what is colloquially called a "bluff strike." Despite banners proclaiming a general strike, in practice, the action is often limited to "maximum use of paid leave" or "refusal of overtime." In some cases, only a handful of union leaders remain on-site, making the scene resemble a group vacation rather than a true struggle.

The labor union at Samsung Biologics is set to begin collective action starting on April 22. The union has issued strong public statements, threatening to halt production processes if necessary. They have not hesitated to mention the possibility of damages amounting to hundreds of billions of won to the company, bordering on intimidation. Yet, the core of the publicly released strike guidelines is to use paid leave to the fullest extent during the so-called "bridge holidays" in early May.

This repeated pattern of "free strike" style collective action stems from a calculation to reap practical benefits while avoiding the risks of a true struggle. However, such tactics not only distort the fundamental concept of a strike but also fundamentally undermine the order of labor-management relations.

Originally, a strike is an "all-or-nothing" brinkmanship strategy: to win an unprecedented wage increase, the union must be willing to endure financial losses and potential liability for damages under the no-work, no-pay principle. Negotiating power is only gained when the blow dealt to the other side outweighs one's own loss-a "war without gunfire." In the biopharmaceutical industry in particular, once a production process is halted, all products often must be discarded, making a strike not just a work stoppage but the ultimate weapon that threatens the very survival of a company.

However, the "group vacation" approach to labor disputes undermines the sincerity of the struggle. Attempting to avoid wage cuts by using up paid leave gives the appearance of selfishness-an unwillingness to accept even a single won in personal loss, even in a dispute that began over money. This only reinforces the perception among management and the public that the union is not willing to bear the cost of a wage reduction.

From a tactical perspective, this approach is a recipe for defeat. A half-hearted threat disguised as vacation signals to management that the workers will eventually return once time passes. Management has no incentive to adopt a conciliatory stance in the face of a struggle that lacks real commitment. If workers return empty-handed after an unconvincing vacation protest, it becomes virtually impossible to build momentum for a second strike in the future.

The union must now ask itself whether it is ready to bear the true weight of the word "strike," and whether the weapon it holds is loaded with live ammunition or is merely a blank that makes noise. Using the ultimate weapon of a strike lightly, out of a desire to protect bonuses and paid leave allowances, will only undermine the union's own reason for existence.

Photo by Donghoon Jung, Bio SME & Venture Department

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