Strikes in South Korea

US companies fight with simulated diligence

According to the trade union, the majority of employees at the world's leading chip manufacturer Samsung Electronics are walking off the job. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) called on its approximately 28,000 members to go on strike for three days from Monday. 

The NSEU represents more than a fifth of the company's workforce in South Korea. The union is demanding an improvement in the performance-related bonus system and an additional day of vacation.

According to an internal survey, around 8100 members had declared their willingness to strike by Monday morning. Further actions against the country's most powerful corporation have been announced.

Production unaffected
Analysts assume that the strike will have little impact on chip production, as this is largely automated. Nevertheless, experts see the strike as a sign of dwindling employee loyalty, which represents an additional challenge for Samsung.

The company is currently under pressure to assert itself in the competition for chips for artificial intelligence applications. Despite an estimated increase in operating profit of more than 15 times in the second quarter, Samsung's share price performance lagged behind that of its South Korean competitor SK Hynix.