Samsung Electronics Faces Potential Strike Over Bonus Dispute

Samsung Electronics' semiconductor production dropped by over 18% in a single day during a general assembly held by its union on April 23, according to the union's "Joint Struggle Headquarters." The union disclosed the production decline data and pressured management, warning that if the company does not agree to allocate 15% of operating profits as performance bonuses, a significant 18-day strike next month could severely impact production. According to Jin10, the union stated on April 24 that due to the previous day's assembly, which involved around 40,000 members, the night shift production at memory chip factories fell by 18.4%. The decline was even more pronounced at wafer foundries, with a 58.1% drop. The union had previously estimated that production losses during the general strike could exceed 30 trillion won. Samsung Electronics' operating profit for this year is expected to be around 300 trillion won. The union's demand would require approximately 45 trillion won in performance bonuses. If management does not meet these demands, the union plans to initiate an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7. Additionally, the union intends to mobilize "safety protection facility" operators responsible for preventing chemical leaks to maximize the impact on production.