Unionized Samsung Workers On "Indefinite" Strike

Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics declared an indefinite strike on Wednesday to pressure South Korea’s largest company to accept their demands for higher pay and other benefits, Hyung-Jin Kim reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The union has accused management of being unwilling to negotiate. I Photo: Yonhap News Agency

Thousands of members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) launched a temporary, three-day strike on Monday.

However, the union announced on Wednesday that it was declaring an indefinite strike, accusing management of being unwilling to negotiate. Samsung Electronics claims there have been no disruptions to production.

“Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines,” a Samsung statement said.

“The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”

However, in a statement posted on its website, the union said it has engaged in unspecified disruptions on the company’s production lines to force management to come to the negotiating table if the strikes continue.

“We are confident of our victory,” the union statement said. The union did not specify how many members would join the extended strike. It earlier stated that 6,540 of its union members had committed to participating in the initial three-day strike.