Overview
- Samsung and its largest union returned to government-led talks Tuesday, with the mediator saying some gaps narrowed and a formal proposal expected before a 7 p.m. deadline.
- A Suwon court on Monday partially granted Samsung’s injunction, ordering essential staffing and normal safety operations during any strike and warning of fines of 100 million won per day for unions and 10 million won for leaders.
- The union says it will start an 18-day walkout on Thursday unless a deal is reached, with about 45,000 to 48,000 workers pledging to join.
- The dispute centers on bonuses, with labor seeking 15% of operating profit and removal of a 50% cap while management offers about 9–10% and one-off special pay tied to keeping the cap.
- South Korea’s government has threatened emergency arbitration that would pause strikes for 30 days, and officials and analysts warn of damage ranging from a 3–4% drop in DRAM supply to as much as 30 trillion won in output at risk in severe cases.