We can no longer afford to see a company that has no will to negotiate
For the first time in its history, Samsung Electronics faces a strike — not born of sudden crisis, but of a long-accumulated silence between those who build the company's power and those who decide its rewards. On June 7, 2024, nearly 28,000 workers in South Korea will pause their labor to ask a question as old as industry itself: who gets a voice when prosperity is divided? The walkout arrives as Samsung stands at a pivotal threshold, racing to reclaim its footing in the global semiconductor race even as its own workforce demands to be heard.
- Samsung's largest union has called a historic one-day strike for June 7, the first in the company's decades-long history, with 28,000 workers ready to walk off the job.
- Workers say the core wound is not just pay, but process — Samsung announces wage decisions through councils that exclude union voices, leaving employees to accept terms rather than negotiate them.
- The strike lands at a fragile moment: Samsung posted its worst annual profit in 15 years in 2023, lost its smartphone crown, and is now locked in a high-stakes battle with TSMC for AI chip dominance.
- The AI boom has begun to reverse Samsung's fortunes, with first-quarter profits surging tenfold — making the timing of labor unrest both more costly and more charged.
- Management says it is negotiating in good faith, but 28,000 workers are willing to forfeit a day's wages to prove that words alone are no longer enough.
Samsung Electronics, one of the world's most formidable technology companies, is about to encounter something entirely new: a strike. On June 7, nearly 28,000 workers — just under a quarter of Samsung's South Korean workforce — will walk off the job in the first such action in the company's history.
The Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union announced the walkout after months of failed negotiations over wages and bonuses. Union leader Son Woomok framed the grievance plainly: Samsung has never conducted what the union considers a genuine negotiation. The company announces its decisions through labor-management councils that exclude union representation, then presents workers with a fait accompli. "We are demanding transparent and fair performance bonuses and wage increases," Son said. The union wants a seat at the table — not an ultimatum delivered after the fact.
The strike arrives at a complicated moment for Samsung. After pandemic-era chip shortages gave way to a devastating glut, the company posted an operating profit of just 6.567 trillion won in 2023 — its weakest result since 2009 — and briefly lost its standing as the world's top smartphone maker. Yet the AI boom has begun to reverse that slide, with first-quarter profits surging more than tenfold as demand for advanced chips climbs sharply.
Samsung now competes directly with TSMC and Intel for leadership in the semiconductor technologies powering artificial intelligence — a race with enormous global consequences. Management responded to the strike announcement with pledges of good-faith negotiation, but 28,000 workers have made clear they are prepared to sacrifice a day's wages to be genuinely heard. For a company staking its future on chip supremacy, the first strike in its history could not have come at a more consequential hour.
Samsung Electronics, one of the world's most powerful technology companies, is about to face something it never has before: a strike. On June 7, nearly 28,000 workers—just under a quarter of Samsung's South Korean workforce—will walk off the job, marking the first such action in the company's history.
The Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union announced the walkout on Wednesday after months of failed negotiations over wages and bonuses. The union's leadership made clear this was not a decision made lightly. "We can no longer afford to see a company that has no will to negotiate," union representatives said during a livestreamed press conference. Many of the striking workers labor in Samsung's semiconductor division, the crown jewel of the company's operations and the source of much of its global influence.
At the heart of the dispute lies a fundamental question about how workers' compensation gets decided. Son Woomok, a union leader, explained the grievance plainly: Samsung has never conducted what the union considers a genuine wage negotiation. Instead, the company announces its decisions at labor-management councils that don't include union representation, then tells workers to accept the terms. "We are demanding transparent and fair performance bonuses and wage increases," Son said. The union wants a seat at the table, not an ultimatum delivered after the fact.
The timing of this strike carries particular weight because Samsung is at a crossroads. The company endured a brutal few years. A chip shortage during the pandemic gave way to a glut, and last year consumer demand for electronics collapsed as economic uncertainty rippled globally. In 2023, Samsung reported an operating profit of just 6.567 trillion won—about $4.8 billion—its weakest annual result since 2009. The company also lost its position as the world's leading smartphone maker. These were humbling numbers for a corporation accustomed to dominance.
But the landscape is shifting. The artificial intelligence boom has revived demand for the high-end chips Samsung manufactures. In the first quarter of this year, the company's operating profit surged more than tenfold as forecasts for AI chip demand climbed. Samsung is competing directly with Intel and Taiwan's TSMC in this space, and the stakes are enormous. The vast majority of the world's advanced microchips come from just two places: Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan's industry is larger and more established, but South Korea is determined to challenge that dominance.
Samsung's management responded to news of the strike with measured language. A company spokesperson told CNN that Samsung "remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union, and is making every sincere effort to come to an agreement." Whether those efforts will intensify before June 7 remains unclear. What is clear is that 28,000 workers are prepared to sacrifice a day's wages to force the company to listen. For a corporation betting its future on semiconductor supremacy, the first strike in its history arrives at a moment when it can least afford to lose focus.
Citas Notables
We are demanding transparent and fair performance bonuses and wage increases. There has never been a proper wage negotiation.— Son Woomok, union leader
The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union, and is making every sincere effort to come to an agreement.— Samsung Electronics spokesperson
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Samsung's first strike matter now, when the company is actually recovering?
Because recovery doesn't mean workers share in it. Samsung's profits are surging on AI chips, but the union says workers have never had a real voice in how their compensation gets decided. The company just announces what it will pay, and workers accept it or don't.
But couldn't Samsung argue they're paying competitively, even if the process feels unfair?
Maybe. But the union isn't just asking for more money—they're asking for transparency and a genuine negotiation. That's harder to dismiss. And Samsung's history of weak profits gives workers a legitimate grievance: they've absorbed the pain of bad years without a say in the good ones.
What does a one-day strike actually accomplish? It's not like a prolonged walkout.
It's a signal. It's the first strike ever. That alone forces Samsung to take the union seriously in a way they haven't before. It also tests the workers' resolve and shows management that patience has limits.
Does this hurt Samsung's position against TSMC?
Not directly, not from one day. But if tensions escalate, if there are more strikes, then yes—TSMC's stability becomes an advantage. Samsung needs its semiconductor workers focused and committed right now, not angry.
What happens if Samsung refuses to budge?
Then you likely see more strikes. The union has shown it's willing to act. And once you break that barrier—once workers have struck once—the next time becomes easier.