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HWASEONG, South Korea, July 8 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics Co. launched a three-day strike Monday, demanding a pay raise and additional bonuses, in the largest labor action in the technology giant's 55-year history.
More than 6,000 union members at Samsung Electronics Co. gathered for a rally to participate in the strike, following their one-day strike last month.
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest labor union at the world's largest memory chipmaker, held the demonstration at the entrance of the company's facility in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, to kick off the strike.
"We desperately came out here with the determination that it's now or never," NSEU Chairman Son Woo-mok said. "We will continue to struggle until the company changes."
The NSEU said that 6,540 members from operations in Giheung, Pyeongtaek, Cheonan, Onyang, Gumi and Gwangju attended the event, including 5,211 from the company's semiconductor division.
The union emphasized that the planned strike will disrupt production as more people attended the first-day rally than expected.
Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics Co. stage a rally at the entrance of the company's facility in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 8, 2024. (Yonhap)
Since January, the two sides have held several rounds of talks but have been unable to narrow their differences over the wage increase rate, vacation system and bonuses.
The union has demanded a one-day vacation for all employees and a significant salary raise for the 855 members who did not sign the 2024 salary negotiation agreement.
The union also demanded the company offer more paid leave and provide compensation for economic losses incurred during unpaid strikes.
The NSEU claimed the company has refused to accept any of its demands in the two-week adjustment period that began June 13, holding the company solely responsible for any business losses incurred by the strike.
The union also warned that it would stage another five-day strike, starting July 15, if no progress is made during this week's strike.
As of Monday, the NSEU reported a total membership of 30,000, accounting for approximately 24 percent of Samsung Electronics' total workforce of about 125,000.
Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics Co. stage a rally at the entrance of the company's facility in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on July 8, 2024. (Yonhap)
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