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.

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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. [3] [4]

South Korea

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. [5] A year prior in May 2020, Lee Jae-yong apologized for Samsung's union-busting. [6]

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 2023, the Samsung Electronics Service Workers was created, and is affiliated to the Korean Metal Workers' Union which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union. [7] :6–7 Initially, Samsung Electronics claimed no responsibility for its subcontractors, but after series of strikes starting in January 2014, the union reached a basic collective agreement in June 2014. [7] :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. [8] [9]

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. [10]

See also

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The following lists events in the year 2024 in South Korea.

References

  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. 1 2 "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. "[Reportage] A worker's body is stolen". The Hankyoreh English Edition. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. Kim, Bo-eun (2021-08-12). "Samsung signs collective agreement with unions ahead of leader's release". Korea Times . Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  6. 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.
  7. 1 2 Yun, Aelim (August 2017). "Rebuilding Workers' Power Beyond Corporate Boundaries in South Korea" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation . pp. 1–14.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

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