A one-person protest criticizing the recent conduct of the labor union was held in front of the Samsung Electronics Seocho office building. The Samsung Electronics union has announced a strike, demanding higher performance bonuses.
A man in his 60s, a person surnamed Park, held a picket and began a one-person protest on the morning of the 15th in front of the Samsung Electronics building in Seocho-dong, Seoul. On the picket, titled "A shout to the Samsung Electronics union," he wrote six items. Through the picket, Park said, "At times, you have to 'know how to be satisfied,'" and noted, "The current performance was not achieved by 'your own extra ability.'" He added, "It was achieved through the 'support, concessions, and sacrifices of the entire nation' in both material and moral ways," and said, "You should look back on water and electricity, and on society's direct and indirect capital." Identifying himself not as a conservative, a progressive, or a shareholder, but as "a person who loves Samsung," Park requested a meeting with the union Chairperson.
Samsung Electronics currently operates a multiple-union system with five unions active. Among them, the larger ones — ▲ the Samsung Group supra-enterprise labor union Samsung Electronics chapter (supra-enterprise union) ▲ the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (Jeonsamno) ▲ the Samsung Electronics Donghaeng Union — formed a joint bargaining team in Nov. last year and have been conducting the 2026 wage and collective agreement (labor-management negotiations) with management. Negotiations proceeded for about three months, but the talks broke down in Feb. after the two sides failed to narrow their differences.
Afterward, the Samsung Electronics union formed a joint struggle headquarters and, in a strike action vote held in Mar., secured a majority in favor and announced it would launch a "general strike in May." The union also plans to hold a rally on the 21st.
In response, management sought to ease tensions by proposing that if the DS (semiconductor) division achieves No. 1 in the domestic industry, it would provide compensation exceeding the cap on the overachievement performance incentive (OPI) through special rewards. However, the union insisted on a permanent removal of the cap through a system change. The union is now increasing pressure, demanding that 15% of operating profit be paid as performance bonuses.