Samsung's largest labor union is beginning its three-day strike in South Korea. The union is now 36,570 members strong, making up a quarter of Samsung Electronics' workforce, according to reports from The Korea Herald. It is demanding one more day of annual leave, a change to the company's draconic bonus structure, and better pay overall.
This marks the first labor strike in Samsung Electronics' history after multiple rounds of negotiations stretching back to January. "The company's post-arbitration plan does not consider workers as being on equal terms and still treats them like expendable items," said the union in a recent statement. "We are holding the company accountable for all this through a strike." In the pouring rain, the National Samsung Electronics Union began its strike with a rally outside of the company's Hwaseong semiconductor plant this morning, packing the five-lane road leading to the fab's gates.
