Samsung Electronics sent an official letter to the labor union requesting additional talks.
On the 14th, Samsung Electronics sent an official letter titled "We propose additional talks between labor and management" to the super-company union Samsung Electronics chapter within the Samsung Group that holds a majority, and to the second-largest union, the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union.
In the letter, Samsung Electronics said, "During the post-mediation process recently conducted by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), both labor and management conveyed their respective views but did not reach an agreement," and "we propose that labor and management hold direct talks."
The union side was reported to hold the position that "there is no reason to talk unless the performance bonus is institutionalized and made transparent."
Labor and management at Samsung Electronics held a second post-mediation meeting at the NLRC in the Government Sejong Complex starting at 10 a.m. on the 12th and discussed the matter for 17 hours, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement. The post-mediation collapsed after the Samsung Electronics union requested to halt the talks. With even the mediation restarted under NLRC arbitration by mutual consent breaking down, the Samsung Electronics union plans to begin an 18-day general strike from the 21st.
The Samsung Electronics union is demanding that performance bonuses be paid from a pool equal to 15% of operating profit and that the cap be abolished and institutionalized. Management, however, holds that institutionalizing performance bonuses is effectively impossible. It says it can increase one-time compensation but cannot shake the operating principles of performance bonuses.