Excluding personnel in roles where strikes are restricted by a court injunction, the Samsung Biologics Win-Win Labor Union will begin a strike on May 1.
According to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry on the 26th, the union plans to proceed with industrial action as scheduled after adjusting the scope of the strike to reflect the court's decision on its application to ban industrial action.
Earlier, on the 23rd, the Civil Agreement Division 21 of the Incheon District Court partially granted Samsung Biologics' application for an injunction to ban industrial action against the union.
The court restricted strikes for processes directly tied to maintaining drug quality. It banned strikes for three items: concentration and buffer exchange, drug substance filling, and buffer production and supply. The decision reflected that these processes are key steps to prevent drug deterioration and spoilage.
By contrast, the court dismissed the application to ban industrial action for six items related to culture and purification, including flask/incubator culture, media production and supply, chromatography, and virus filtration. As a result, personnel in those processes can take part in the strike.
Labor and management remain at odds over a wage increase plan and other issues. The union warned it would launch a strike on May 1 if its demands are not accepted, and it kept the plan in place after the court's decision.
Industry officials warn that if the strike materializes, Samsung Biologics could face disruptions to on-time delivery of drug production.