Samsung Electronics labor and management will enter a second round of talks on the 18th in the morning. At the union's request, the company's negotiator was replaced, and the dialogue has resumed.
According to the Samsung Electronics union on the 16th, labor and management will hold a second follow-up negotiation around 10 a.m. on the 18th at the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong. The National Labor Relations Commission is also expected to attend the mediation process that day. Before that, the two sides will hold a preliminary meeting on the afternoon of the 16th at the union office on the Pyeongtaek campus.
At the union's request, the company replaced its negotiator from Vice President Kim Hyeong-ro to Yeo Myeong-gu, DS Division Head of Team for People. Yeo is the chief human resources officer for the semiconductor division. The union met with Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) the day before and called for the replacement of the company's negotiator, and talks resumed after the company accepted. Vice President Kim Hyeong-ro is said to be taking part in this mediation process without separate remarks.
On this day, Chair Lee Jae-yong issued a public apology regarding labor-management issues, saying, "We are one body, one family," and noted, "Now is the time to wisely pool our strength and move in one direction."
In response, union leader Choi Seung-ho said in a statement, "We have reviewed Chair Lee Jae-yong's statement," and added, "Employees felt that trust with the company was broken and joined the union, and in the DS Division the membership rate reaches 85%."
He added, "Restoring trust will take time, but we hope you will make an effort so we can move forward together starting with this negotiation."
In this negotiation, the union is demanding institutionalization to fix 15% of operating profit as a performance bonus and to abolish the performance bonus cap. The company, on the other hand, wants to maintain the existing performance bonus system but says it can flexibly supplement it through special awards without a cap.
If the two sides fail to narrow their differences, the union plans to proceed with a general strike as scheduled. The union has announced an 18-day general strike from the 21st to July 7. About 46,000 members have expressed their intention to participate so far, and the union expects up to about 50,000 to join.