A major industrial dispute within Samsung’s Device Solutions division has been paused after a series of negotiations led by South Korea’s minister for labour and employment. The company had been facing the most significant strike in its history, driven by employee dissatisfaction over profit sharing despite the firm achieving record sales. The recent discussions have resulted in a tentative agreement, leading the labour union to suspend its scheduled 18-day strike action.
Union members are set to hold a vote between 22 May and 27 May to decide whether to accept the proposed deal. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung would provide a special bonus to the chip division equal to 10.5% of operating profits. Furthermore, the company would meet union demands to remove the cap on bonuses and establish a system that links payouts directly to operating profits. In addition to this special bonus, the chip division would also be allocated 40% of the total bonus pool.
Before these negotiations, the union had been pushing for more substantial concessions. Their original demands included bonuses worth 15% of Samsung’s operating profits, the removal of any limits on bonus payments, and the creation of a formalised structure for such payouts.
The potential economic impact of the industrial action was significant. South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok had previously estimated that if the 18-day strike had proceeded, direct losses could have reached KRW 1 trillion (approximately €670 million). Given that Samsung represents 22.8% of South Korea’s total exports and 26% of its market capitalisation, the company’s stability is closely tied to the nation’s wider economic health.
