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Samsung and unions

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The electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics has assembly plants and sales networks in 74 countries and employs more than 270,000 workers.[1] Employees in South Korea went on a one-day strike on 7 June 2024. It was the first time employees in the Samsung Group went on strike.

Samsung, the parent conglomerate historically has a no-union policy and has been engaged in union-busting activities around the world, including setting up management unions, surveilling workers and retaliating against workers who try to unionize.[2][3] Samsung was sued by Samsung Electronics Service Workers trade union for stealing the corpse of a dead worker.[4]

South Korea

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Samsung Electronics and Samsung Electronics Service have been unionized since 2014 and 2021 respectively.

Samsung Electronics Service

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Samsung Electronics Service is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics and relies on in-house subcontractor firms that are de facto owned by Samsung. In July 2013, the Samsung Electronics Service Workers was created. It is affiliated to the Korean Metal Workers' Union which is part of IndustriALL Global Union.[5]: 6–7 

Yeom Ho-seok, a worker and Yangsan union branch leader committed suicide in his car on 17 May 2014; the second Samsung worker to do so. He left a note:[4][6]

I'm in Jeongdongjin now. When you find my body, please don't bury me until the day our chapter achieves victory. On the day of our chapter's victory, I want you to cremate me and sprinkle my ashes here.

— Yeom Ho-seok, suicide note

On 17 May, Yeom's father transferred legal custody of Yeom's body to the union, per his son's dying wish. The next day, the father changed his mind and police snatched Yeom's corpse from the hospital, arresting 20 union members in the process. The last time a corpse was taken by police was in 1991 after a similar worker suicide protest.[4]

Initially, Samsung Electronics claimed no responsibility for its subcontractors, but after series of strikes including suicide starting in January 2014, the union reached a basic collective agreement in June 2014.[5]: 8 

Samsung Electronics

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In August 2021, Samsung Electronics signed a collective agreement with 4 different trade unions. This happened after Samsung vice chairman Lee Jae-yong was released from prison for corruption including union busting.[7] A year prior in May 2020, Lee Jae-yong apologized for Samsung's union-busting.[8]

Samsung Electronics employees went on a one-day strike on 7 June 2024. It was the first time employees in the Samsung Group went on strike. The strike led by the National Samsung Electronics Union (Korean: 전국삼성전자노동조합) represents 28,000 workers or a quarter of the total workforce and is the largest of 5 trade unions at Samsung.[9][10]

6,500 workers went on a strike on 8 July 2024, which was initially planned to be for three days but was converted into an indefinite strike due to lack of response from management.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Fast Facts: Samsung Global Newsroom". Samsung Electronics. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  2. ^ "[Special report- Part V] Samsung has come under fire worldwide for its union-busting tactics". The Hankyoreh. 26 June 2019. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Samsung VP gets jail term for attempting to break up labor union". Yonhap News Agency. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Hwang, Ye-rang (30 May 2014). "[Reportage] A worker's body is stolen". The Hankyoreh English Edition. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b Yun, Aelim (August 2017). "Rebuilding Workers' Power Beyond Corporate Boundaries in South Korea" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation. pp. 1–14.
  6. ^ Se-Woong, Koo (2014-07-08). "South Korea: Striking Samsung workers prevail despite climate of repression". Equal Times. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  7. ^ Kim, Bo-eun (2021-08-12). "Samsung signs collective agreement with unions ahead of leader's release". Korea Times. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  8. ^ Sang-hun, Choe (6 May 2020). "Samsung Heir Apologizes for Corruption and Union-Busting Scandals". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020.
  9. ^ Young, Jin Yu; Tobin, Meaghan (2024-06-06). "Samsung Workers Strike, the First in the Company's History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  10. ^ Seo, Yoonjung Seo; Madhok, Diksha (2024-06-07). "Workers at Samsung Electronics go on strike for the first time ever | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  11. ^ Young, Jin Yu; Liu, John (2024-07-10). "Samsung Union Workers Launch Indefinite Strike". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-10.

External

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