As Samsung Electronics labor and management failed to narrow differences over revamping the OPI bonus system in the 2026 wage talks and the negotiations collapsed with the National Labor Relations Commission halting mediation, the two sides continue to trade blame. As the company disclosed the negotiation process and its proposals on the in-house bulletin board, a range of views is emerging internally, showing a split in employee sentiment.
Samsung Electronics recently said in an internal notice that the joint bargaining group refused to extend the mediation period while maintaining its demand to abolish the bonus cap, leading to a breakdown in talks. According to the company, various compensation plans were presented during mediation, including an average wage increase of 6.2%, 20 shares of treasury stock, and the option to choose the OPI bonus funding basis.
Regarding the bonus funding basis, the company is said to have proposed allowing a choice between 10% of operating profit or 20% of EVA (economic value added). It also said that, to strengthen competitiveness in system semiconductors, a special incentive plan of up to 500% was reviewed for the S.LSI and foundry institutional sector. In addition, it said the negotiation plan included expanded benefits such as longer long-service leave and support for housing stability.
The company also rejected as untrue the union's claim of a "last-minute proposal." According to the company, during the National Labor Relations Commission mediation, mediators recommended extending the mediation period to both sides until just before the end, and the company also expressed its intent to prepare additional proposals. However, it said the joint bargaining group maintained that "if the cap is not abolished, it is meaningless," refused an extension, and ultimately a decision was made to halt mediation.
Some say it is unusual that Samsung Electronics explained the mediation process and negotiation plan in detail through an internal notice. That is because Samsung Electronics has generally been cautious about publicly describing labor-management negotiations or internal conflicts. In the industry, some interpret the move as the company choosing to explain directly to internal members after blame-shifting between labor and management spread following the breakdown in talks.
The company also emphasized that the performance gap between the DX (mobile and appliances) and DS (semiconductors) divisions should be taken into account. Samsung Electronics says that, given DX and DS currently apply the same bonus structure, abolishing the bonus cap could cause compensation to tilt toward the better-performing division, making it unavoidable to consider funding allocation between divisions. Currently, the company's OPI has a cap set at up to 50% of annual salary, and the payment amount is determined by each division's performance.
After the breakdown in talks, various views have also surfaced on internal communities. Some employees argued that if the company's proposed operating-profit-based bonus funding were applied by splitting it across DS and DX as a whole, the cap issue could have been resolved to some extent. One employee reacted by saying, "Since the company presented funding at the 10%–20% level of operating profit, it could have been resolved if it were divided across the entire division."
On the other hand, some support the union's position. The union argues that the current 50% of annual salary cap limits compensation relative to actual results in some high-performing organizations. It says the calculation structure should be disclosed by linking it to operating profit, as SK hynix does, and the bonus cap should be abolished to increase transparency.
The union is said to be maintaining transparency of the bonus system and abolition of the cap as core demands. With the National Labor Relations Commission halting mediation, the union has secured the right to strike, raising the possibility of moving to industrial action procedures such as a strike vote.
In the industry, some expect that, given the wide perception gap over abolishing the bonus cap and allocating funds between divisions, the resumed negotiations may also face difficulties. In particular, amid high volatility in the semiconductor market, how to reflect inter-division performance gaps in the compensation structure is expected to be a key sticking point in future talks.