Lee Chan-hee, Chairperson of the Samsung Compliance Committee, said the Samsung Electronics labor union that has signaled a "general strike in May" needs to take a cautious approach.
Meeting with reporters on the afternoon of the 21st at the Samsung Life Insurance Seocho building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the Chairperson said, "It is the union's right to choose its methods to protect workers' rights," but added, "Samsung is evaluated not as a mere private company but as a 'people's company,' so the union should be a bit more prudent, taking into account the public, including shareholders and investors, who are directly or indirectly connected through consolidation."
Three unions within Samsung Electronics (Chogieop, Jeonsamno, and Donghaeng) declared in February that talks with management on the 2026 wage and collective agreement had broken down. They then formed a joint struggle headquarters and, after winning a majority in a strike vote, signaled they would launch a "general strike in May." On the 23rd, they also plan to hold a rally that is expected to draw around 30,000 participants.
Management sought to mend the rift by proposing that if the DS (semiconductor) division achieved No. 1 in the domestic industry, it would provide compensation exceeding the cap on overachieving performance incentives (OPI) through special rewards. However, the joint struggle headquarters maintains that 15% of operating profit should be paid as performance bonuses and that the cap should be permanently abolished through a change in the system.
Samsung Electronics recently filed a criminal complaint against an employee, identified as A, on suspicion of abusing the company's internal security system to collect employees' personal information and provide it to a third party. Police are investigating allegations that the information was used to compile a so-called "blacklist" containing union membership status.
Regarding this, the Chairperson said, "What matters most in labor-management relations is reaching agreement through dialogue, so it is regrettable that room was left for criminal proceedings." The Chairperson added, "I agree that workers' rights need to be better protected in labor-management relations, but human rights among unions must also be upheld," and "(The committee) is monitoring to ensure that no repression or violence occurs with unlawful intent."
Launched in February, the fourth committee strengthened its expertise in labor relations by appointing Kim Gyeong-seon, an expert in labor and women's policy, and Lee Kyung-mook, an expert in corporate organization and human resources management, as new Commissioners. The Chairperson said, "Two people with expertise in labor-management relations have been newly appointed to this fourth committee, and we reorganized the subcommittee on labor rights accordingly," adding, "We will consult with a labor-management advisory group and set the direction for the committee based on expert advice."