Samsung Electronics union chairperson said a comment by President Lee Jae-myung warning that some workers' excessive demands harm other workers was "aimed at LG Uplus."
On the 1st, according to the industry, Choi Seung-ho, chairperson of the supra-company union Samsung Electronics Branch, recently told members via messenger, "This is something said looking at LG Uplus. Because they asked for 30%," adding, "It should be at an acceptable level like ours at 15%." In response to a question about whether the president's remark was a warning to the Samsung Electronics union, he indicated it had nothing to do with them.
The president said at a senior secretaries' meeting on the 31st, "If some organized workers make excessive or unjust demands just to save themselves and end up being condemned by the public, it will harm not only that union but also other workers."
Although no specific corporation name was mentioned, some interpreted the president's remark as made with the Samsung Electronics union strike in mind.
However, Chairperson Choi drew a line, saying the remark had nothing to do with Samsung Electronics' case. It referred to the LG Uplus case of demanding 30% of operating profit as a performance bonus, and the Samsung Electronics union's demand for 15% of operating profit is reasonable, he said.
However, the government is also said to be preparing for the possibility of a Samsung Electronics union strike. The presidential office's policy office is reported to have prepared a report analyzing the impact of a Samsung Electronics strike on the Korean economy.
Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, also said of the possibility of a Samsung Electronics strike, "I cannot even imagine a strike situation."
In response, the Samsung Electronics union immediately pushed back. Hong Gwang-heum, chairperson of the Samsung Group supra-company union, sent a letter of protest to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and said, "We express deep anger at the unbalanced view of private-sector labor-management relations shown by the minister at the recent press conference," adding, "We warn against the demonization of semiconductor industry workers."