By Aisha Dahuwa
Thousands of Samsung employees have launched a three-day walkout, protesting the company’s compensation package and bringing production to a grinding halt at the tech giant’s manufacturing facilities.
The strike, which began on Wednesday, is the latest development in a long-standing dispute between the company and its workers.
The strike has started from today,” Son Woo-mok, head of the National Samsung Electronics Union, told AFP.
“Today’s general strike is just the beginning,” he added.
He instructed the crowd of workers to not report to work until the 10th of July and neither should they answer any work related calls.
“Recalling why we are here, please do not come to work until July 10th and do not receive any business calls,” he told the crowd of workers.
The workers are seeking a significant salary hike, citing the company’s impressive profits and the rising cost of living. They claim that Samsung’s current offer is inadequate and fails to address their concerns about job security, benefits, and working conditions.
The strike has sparked concerns about the impact on Samsung’s production and supply chain.
Samsung Electronics successfully prevented its workers from forming unions for nearly five decades, allegedly using strong-arm tactics, as it grew to become the global leader in smartphone and semiconductor production.
The company’s founder, Lee Byung-chul, who passed away in 1987, was vehemently anti-union and famously declared that he would never allow them “until I have dirt over my eyes ”
The company’s management has yet to comment on the situation, but industry analysts predict significant losses if the strike continues beyond the three-day mark.
On the other hand, the union has vowed to continue the industrial action until their demands are met, while Samsung’s management is under pressure to resolve the dispute quickly to minimize the impact on the company’s operations.
This strike is the last card we can use,” the union said, saying that workers at the company needed to “act as one”
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