The Samsung Electronics labor union, which is holding a strike ballot with a goal of a general strike in May, is understood to have filed for relief with the Labor Relations Commission, arguing that statements by management's bargaining committee members during the 2026 wages and collective agreement talks could violate the law. The union claims management violated the duty of fair representation and committed an unfair labor practice by saying during the talks, "Wouldn't it be better to split off as the semiconductor (DS) union and receive more (compensation)?" and "If you return to your regular job after doing union work, you receive special favors."
The body that filed for relief is the Samsung Group supra-enterprise labor union's Samsung Electronics chapter (supra-enterprise union). It recently stirred controversy by urging turnout in the vote and saying it would make employees who do not join the strike the top priority for forced reassignment and dismissal. It is also pursuing procedures to obtain the status of employees' representative, asserting it has achieved a majority union. The supra-enterprise union currently has 67,200 members.
According to the industry on the 12th, the supra-enterprise union submitted its relief application against Samsung Electronics to the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission on the 11th. The supra-enterprise union's position is that two of management's chief negotiators and negotiators who took part in the wage and collective bargaining suggested the union should be split into DS and finished goods (DX), or mentioned the process of returning to work after union activity, which it says is problematic. It also points out as inappropriate that management proposed an additional compensation plan contingent on achieving Guinness (No. 1 in sales and operating profit), while saying things like "The achievement conditions are a given, so don't worry about them" and "There will be negotiations next year, so demand it again." The supra-enterprise union's relief application is being handled by Law Firm Majung.
The Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act stipulates a duty of fair representation that prohibits both management and the representative bargaining union from discriminating without reasonable cause against unions that participate in the single bargaining channel procedure. It also provides that if management seeks to influence or interferes in the organization or operation of a union, it constitutes an unfair labor practice.
Samsung Electronics currently has a multiple-union system with five unions active, and among them, the larger ones—▲the supra-enterprise union ▲the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (Jeonsamno) ▲the Samsung Electronics Companionship Union—formed a joint bargaining group in Nov. last year and have been conducting wage and collective bargaining. They declared a breakdown in talks in Feb. after failing to narrow differences over issues such as abolishing the cap on performance bonuses.
As the reason for filing for relief, the supra-enterprise union said, "Management must stop applying different bargaining conditions on the premise of splitting the DS and DX institutional sectors, or inducing different application," and added, "The bargaining units and application standards must be clarified to prevent discrimination against each union participating in the 2026 wage and collective bargaining joint bargaining group." If the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission finds fault with management, it can issue a corrective order to remedy it. The supra-enterprise union also specified in the relief application that once a ruling is issued, it must be posted on the company bulletin board for more than 10 days.
The Samsung Electronics unions' joint struggle headquarters, formed around the three unions, will close the strike ballot that began on the 9th on the 18th. If a majority of all members vote in favor and the right to strike is secured, it plans a general assembly of all members in Apr. and a general strike in May. Some view the supra-enterprise union's solo relief filing during this process as a means to strengthen its bargaining power. An industry official said, "The compensation plan proposed by the union is skewed toward DS, and management was concerned about the relative sense of deprivation in DX, but targeting individual negotiators is excessive."